Shared Education will be a key feature of our future education system – O’Dowd

Date published: 02 November 2015

Education Minister John O’Dowd today introduced the Shared Education Bill into the Assembly.

The Bill provides a legislative definition of Shared Education as involving those of different religious belief, including reasonable numbers of both Protestant and Roman Catholic children or young persons; and those who are experiencing socio-economic deprivation and those who are not.

The Bill also places a power on the Department and its arms length bodies to encourage and facilitate Shared Education and will also enact the duty on the Education Authority in relation to Shared Education as set out in the Education Act 2014.

Speaking after the Bill’s introduction, Minister O’Dowd said:

“This Bill will send a strong signal to the education sector and the wider community that Shared Education is a key feature of our education system going forward. I understand that for some, Shared Education is a new and evolving area. Good practice is still being developed however, the Bill will give the flexibility to encourage and build confidence on the benefits of Shared Education for both those in our education system and wider society.

“The case for Shared Education has been well established and this Bill and my Shared Education Policy published in September, have both been welcomed as an opportunity to build a more inclusive approach, at a pace communities are comfortable with. Many of my Assembly colleagues, like myself, believe that Shared Education must be part of the solution to promoting a culture of mutual understanding and I look forward to taking the Bill through to law before the end of this Assembly mandate.”

Notes to editors: 

  1. The Shared Education Bill was introduced to the Assembly on 2 November 2015.Second Reading will take place on 10 November 2015.
  2. In their report on Shared and Integrated Education, published in July 2015, the Assembly’s Education Committee accepted the need for a statutory definition of Shared Education. In a subsequent Assembly debate in September, the Assembly endorsed their recommendations. The Bill will put this into effect.
  3. “Sharing Works”, a policy for advancing Shared Education, was published by the Department of Education on 16 September 2015.It includes a practical description of how Shared Education will work in practice. This description is based on what was endorsed by the Ministerial Advisory Group on Advancing Shared Education.
  4. The Bill is expected to reach its Final Stage in March 2016.
  5. The Department of Education’s ‘Education Works’ campaign promotes the value of education. This year’s campaign aims to ensure that parents have information on schooling and that they are aware of the steps they can take to ‘Get Involved’ and support their teenager in achieving good outcomes at school. Watch out for the ads on television, radio and outdoor locations. The campaign highlights the vital role families can play in helping children do well at school and improve their life chances. Visit nidirect - Education Works for more information or watch the TV ad on the Department’s YouTube channel.
  6. See photos from the Department of Education in our Flickr collection.
  7. Media enquiries to the Department of Education Press Office Tel: 028 9127 9207. Out of office hours, contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 99 715 440, and your call will be returned.

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