Shared Education. The First Ten Years

The education system in Northern Ireland is deeply divided, with most pupils attending schools where the vast majority of their classmates are from the same community background. Shared education provides opportunities for children and young people from different community backgrounds to learn together.  

While retaining their own identity, schools work in collaborative partnerships across denominational lines:  pupils have regular shared classes and activities, teachers plan and deliver together, and connections are built between school communities.  

Atlantic Philanthropies supported the first shared education pilots starting in 2007, before entering into partnership with the NI government to take those models to scale across the whole education system through SESP. 

The paper tells the story of shared education in Northern Ireland from the perspective of those who were actively involved in it as funders, advocates and practitioners.