With shared Christian values at the core of integrated schools, there is simply no religious argument to support separated rather than integrated education, writes Michael Wardlow
Dr Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, was recently quoted as expressing grave concerns over the concept of mixed schools, which according to the article's headline, he perceived would cause "new hurt" to Catholics. The hurt he refers to would appear to be the loss of denominational (Catholic) schools, in the event that mixed/integrated education were to be the only option available in Northern Ireland.
Apart from any potential restriction in parental choice, the main substance of Dr Brady's argument seems to be predicated on his view that "there is no certainty that non-denominational education would eliminate tension among the communities", an opinion he supports by quoting the Balkans as one example of a failed experiment in shared education.
I can only assume that it is the nature of the sharing (ie, that non-denominational schools are secular in essence), rather than the principle of sharing (ie, that children being educated together is intrinsically a good thing) to which Dr Brady is objecting in his comments. I would like to offer some brief observations on the two issues raised by Dr Brady in his comments - parental choice and shared schools - in an attempt to offer a possible way ahead.
At present, although the Northern Ireland education system is based on parental choice, this choice is neither unfettered nor absolute. At post-primary level, only children who attain particular grades in transfer tests have access to grammar schools and even this privileged access is dependent on local demand.
Parents who wished to have their children educated together had no choice until the advent of Lagan College in 1981, and despite the growing integrated provision, over 5,000 pupils have been unable to access integrated places over the past decade.
So, whereas currently there is abundant choice for Catholic children, indeed to a level of over-capacity in some areas, this same choice does not exist for parents who would like to see mixed schools in Northern Ireland.
If parental choice, as it is currently perceived, is to remain at the core of our educational system, such choice can only be delivered on the basis of equity and this will come at a huge financial cost. Sir George Bain is currently in the process of examining how best to balance parental choice and financial cost.
It is my view that if education is to contribute in any meaningful way to a shared future, in which "equal but separate is no longer an option", then informed parental choice can be facilitated through a menu of creative, shared solutions, alongside formally integrated schools.
I can appreciate Dr Brady's concern on shared schools, if he is expressing a theological concern that such mixing takes place within a secular context.
This is simply not the case in Northern Ireland, as in terms of shared options, we do not have the type of non-denominational, mixed schools feared by Dr Brady. The movement for integrated education was founded on the principles of offering a "Christian rather than a secular approach to education" delivered through schools which are "essentially Christian in character". Religious difference is celebrated and faith traditions are supported in these shared environments, a core value evidenced in the fact that Catholic children are prepared for the sacraments in integrated schools.
It would seem to me to be highly questionable to suggest that the Catholic pupils - who currently make up over 40 per cent of the 18,000 pupils in integrated schools - or their parents, are less committed to faith development than their counterparts in Catholic, denominational schools.
Integrated schools are a popular choice for Catholic parents so much so that in some areas, integrated schools are unable to accommodate all those pupils who would wish to attend. In addition, almost half of all governors and teachers in integrated schools come from Catholic backgrounds. Given the shared Christian values at the core of integrated schools, there is simply no religious argument to support separation. The fact that almost 20 joint church schools exist in England, with others operating in places as far flung as Australia and the US, confirms that there would appear to be no theological objection to shared Christian schools from a Catholic perspective.
Indeed, over 175 years ago, a bishop in the Catholic Church commented as follows: "I do not know of any measures which would prepare for a better feeling in Ireland than uniting children at an early age, and bringing them up in the same school, leading them to commune with one another and to form those little friendships which often subsist through life". (Dr Doyle, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, 1830).
So, unless theology is geographically conditioned, or time limited, it would seem that shared Christian schools are not incompatible with either Catholic tradition or faith.
Is it not possible to imagine a system which allows for a range of creative options, all premised on a Christian value base, which would offer shared educational opportunities, through either integrated options, or jointly managed alternatives, such as those already in existence beyond Northern Ireland? Parental choice could be tested through community audits.
Such creative solutions could deal with the surplus places and provide realistic, affordable parental choice, while allowing us to move ahead to a real shared future.
Michael Wardlow is chief executive of the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education. More information is available at www.nicie.org