Our children can see that we aren’t the only wee school in the countryside: can shared teachers offer solutions to the challenges facing rural primary schools in a divided society?

Abstract

This paper examines the experience of Shared Teachers (STs) who were employed on temporary contracts across school partnerships designed to enrich and integrate the educational experiences of children in primary schools in rural and religiously diverse areas in Northern Ireland, as part of a specific Shared Education Programme. In a society emerging from conflict, where Shared Education is advocated both to improve the quality of education and contribute to more positive community relations, this paper critically explores the strengths and limitations of using a ST initiative to develop inter-school collaboration. There were clear educational benefits in sharing resources, planning and curricular enrichment but the potential to affect positive community relations was often limited. STs were used for routine tasks within individual partnership schools, rather than normalising shared experience where pupils are educated together. STs lacked the institutional support necessary to challenge the cultural and social mores embedded within a divided society.

Keywords:

• Shared Education
• shared teachers
• rural schools
• Northern Ireland
• post-conflict
• sustainable schools

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Professor Linda Clarke and Dr Una O’Connor-Bones from the School of Education, Ulster University for their valuable feedback prior to submission.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 According to DENI school enrolment data for 2017/2018 there are 817 primary schools in Northern Ireland; 367 Catholic Maintained schools, 266 Controlled schools, 23 Grant Maintained Integrated schools, 22 Controlled Integrated schools, 28 Other Maintained schools, and 11 Voluntary schools, https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/articles/school-enrolments-overview.

2 Based on the 673 primary schools that provided data on the religious breakdown of pupils for 2017/2018, https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/articles/school-enrolments-overview. 2011 Census figures show that 42% of the NI population described themselves as Protestant or Other Christian, 41% as Catholic, and 17% as No religion / Not Stated.

3 https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/education/Integration%20Works%20-%20Transforming%20your%20School%20December%202017.pdf

4 https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/articles/school-enrolments-overview.

5 https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/education/Annual%20Report%20on%20Area%20Planning.pdf

6 On 3 December 2012, Belfast City Council voted to limit the days that the Union Flag flies from Belfast City Hall. A series of protests were held by loyalists and unionists across Northern Ireland in response to this. The greatest number of street protests took place in the period directly after the decision relating to the Union Flag at Belfast City Hall, i.e. December 2012 through January 2013.

7 GAA: The Gaelic Athletic Association is a parish / community-based organisation governing the playing of the Gaelic sports (see: http://ulster.gaa.ie/).

8 Sold or distributed by or on behalf of The Orange Order, a Protestant fraternity organisation (see: https://www.goli.org.uk/product-page/wristband)

9 The Sash is a ballad that commemorates the victory of King William III in Ireland 1690–1691 and is sung at marches of The Orange Order (see: https://www.tripsavvy.com/the-sash-my-father-wore-1542690).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jessica Bates

Jessica Bates is a Lecturer at the School of Education, Ulster University, Northern Ireland. She carries out research in Education and Library and Information Science. Her current education research focuses on education, sustainable schools, and participatory research that gives school communities a voice in local school provision in Northern Ireland.

Alan McCully

Alan McCully is an Honorary Research Fellow in the UNESCO Centre, Ulster University, contributing to its work on Education, Conflict and Peacebuilding. As an educator he has engaged with interventions in history and social studies seeking to contribute to better community relations in Northern Ireland. Particularly, his research has focused on the interface between history learned in schools and that encountered in families and communities, and on the pedagogy of teaching sensitive and controversial issues.