In 2012, an independent Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) was appointed by the then Minister of Education to advise him on how best to advance Shared Education in Northern Ireland, within the context of overall education policy and the aim of improving educational outcomes for learners.
Taking into account the lessons learned from earlier programmes, consultation with a wide range of stakeholders and evidence on the effectiveness of different models of collaborative practice locally, nationally and internationally, the Report of the Ministerial Advisory Group on Advancing Shared Education was published in March 2013.
Reflecting widespread political and public support for Shared Education, highlighted by findings from the associated consultation, the Report includes a series of recommendations which informed the development of the Department’s Sharing Works policy.
The MAG Report and the related Executive Summary document can be accessed via the links below:
- Advancing Shared Education: Report of the Ministerial Advisory Group
- Executive Summary - Report of the Ministerial Advisory Group on Advancing Shared Education
Advancing Shared Education Report to the Northern Ireland Assembly March 2022
Under the Shared Education Act, the Department is required to complete a report every two years detailing progress on advancing Shared Education and lay the report before the Northern Ireland Assembly.
There have been three reports to date, the most recent of which was published in March 2022, covering the period April 2020 to March 2022.
Links to the two previous reports can be found below:
- Advancing Shared Education - Report to the Northern Ireland Assembly June 2020
- Advancing Shared Education Report to the Northern Ireland Assembly May 2018
Shared Education Evaluations
A number of evaluations have demonstrated the impact of Shared Education, links for which are provided below.
The Education & Training Inspectorate (ETI) completed an evaluation of the DSC Shared Education Signature Programme in 2018 which can be accessed via the following link:
The Special European Union Programmes Body (SEUPB) commissioned SJC Consultancy to undertake an impact evaluation of EU PEACE IV-funded ‘Shared Education’. The most recent Evaluation Report (2022) is available at PEACE IV Shared Education – Impact Evaluation Key Findings (ncb.org.uk). The interim Evaluation report (2021) can be accessed via https://www.ncb.org.uk/what-we-do/research-evidence/our-research-projects/peace-iv-shared-education-launch-impact
Young Life and Times and Kids’ Life and Times Surveys include modules about young people’s attitudes to Shared Education in Northern Ireland.
Findings from the 2022 Northern Ireland Young Life and Times and Kids’ Life and Times surveys can be found through the following link: