b'BaronessMay BloodThe Ireland Funds have been long-standing and loyalAs campaigners for education reform, we recognise thatsupporters of integrated education in Northern Ireland different ideas and models are emerging. We welcome anysince 1981 and the opening of the very first integrated significant step towards bringing our children closer to-schoolLagan College. Then there were just 28 pupils. gether.However we must strive to ensure that we do notToday that figure stands at 22,000children of all faiths stop until we reach the goal. The public will is for even moreand none, and from right across the traditional divide ambitious measures; we do not simply want to manage learning,growingandplayingtogetherin62schools divisionbetter.Wecannotbesatisfiedbyoccasional spread across Northern Ireland.contact between children from different schools whichOne important result of our international support is couldmerelyunderlinethedifferences.Howeverthe that integrated education has developed to the stage where tide is turningsteps are being takennot fast enough it challenges the very nature of the education system itself. perhaps.BUTLITTLEBYLITTLEOURACTIONS, We live with a system which effectively separates children ENCOURAGEDBYOURFRIENDSAROUNDTHEfromtheageofthree,accordingtotheirreligiousorWORLD,CANCHANGECOMMUNITIESANDCANcommunity background, a system which has prevailed in ALSO EFFECT CHANGE POLITICALLY.Northern Ireland for almost a century. However, in the last In recent years our work on the ground has included32 years integrated schools have shown that children can expandingexistingintegratedschoolsinresponseto be educated together, in a way which doesnt dilute a childs demand. Northern Ireland has experienced a significantreligion or identity and which encourages respect anddemographic downturn in school age children for manyunderstanding.years and put simply, we have too many schools with tooRecent visits by US Presidents, British Prime Ministers, many empty desks. However, bucking this trend, we haveIrish Tnaistes and other leaders have highlighted the sig- many integrated schools who could enroll more children ifnificant work of integrated schools, setting them before the only they had the additional classrooms in which to houseinternational community as an example of the way forward. the pupils. This year alone seven integrated schools haveAndathomeinNorthernIrelandweareseeingapplied to expand and in many cases additional funding fora growing debate about how education and schools canaccommodation would help unlock public funding fromcontribute positively to the new shared future we wish for the Department of Education for the recurrent costs. Weour post-conflict society.First Minister, Peter Robinson of should never forget how such investment impacts on thethe Democratic Unionist Party, described the education lives of children. Beyond the pupils, these developmentssystem as a benign form of apartheid whilst the Education make a real difference to communities, in areas where it isMinister, John ODowd of Sinn Fein, recently acknowl- most needed. Northern Ireland is an example of how con-edged that separation by religion is bad for society.flict can be transformed into peace but also a reminder thatPublic opinion poll results also show that citizens are firmly we are undergoing a process, not experiencing an event.in favour of the idea of children being educated together. People at grassroots have worked with courage and faith toOver the last few years the Integrated Education Fund create what we have and we couldnt have done that withouthasworkedhardonatwinstrategyofcontinuingtoyour support. THANK YOU FOR HELPING US TO KEEPsupport schools, parents and pupils on the ground whilst INTEGRATED EDUCATION MOVING FORWARDS ANDalsoencouraginglocaldecisionmakerstoreformtheFOR HELPING TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALLsystem,sothatschoolsfosterintegrationratherthanOUR CHILDREN.separation. I encourage everyone to see integration asadded value and not something to fear.connect2014 | 33'