The 10th of April 2018 marked the 20th Anniversary of The Good Friday Agreement - Northern Ireland's ambitious framework for peacebuilding, sharing and devolution. In Northern Ireland as in other post-conflict societies, education has been viewed as a conduit for the development of a shared future. However, the Northern Ireland Education System is currently "facing a crisis" according to educators (BBC, 19/6/18).
As a result of pupil numbers rising, resources dwindling and the maintenance of a multi-sectoral system, educational leaders suggest that "we do not have enough money to fund education as currently structured" (EA, 3/18 www.eani.org.uk/schools/education-finance).
Can institutional school collaboration play a role both in promoting local and regional approaches towards building a society that is inclusive and shared while simultaneously enhancing and optimising pupil educational provision?
The Education and Peacebuilding Charity CRIS (Community Relations In Schools) has spent over a decade exploring, developing and delivering collaborative education programmes, partnerships and resources. The organisation's latest resource GRACE (Good Relations And Collaborative Education) captures learning and experiences built over decades with partner schools and the wider education sector in collaborative approaches to reconciliation and education.
Held as part of Good Relations Week 2018, this screening and panel event is designed to stimulate discussion about the future of education in Northern Ireland and will ask how collaborating through our divides can bring about systemic transformation.
Hosted by William Crawley of the BBC, this event will seek to explore this question through school-based case studies from across Northern Ireland which are profiled in CRIS's new e-media resource and the GRACE model (Good Relations and Collaborative Education) and through an interactive forum of practitioners and scholars.
Format: Compere, case study screening, panel discussions, interactive Q&A with audience
Audience: This event is suitable for all demographics, professions and backgrounds and particularly those that wish to discuss how we develop our society, together. The event may be of particular interest to those within education, community planning and development, collaboration and innovation, peacebuilding and reconciliation and public services.
Mon 17 September 2018 16:00 – 19:00
The Strand Arts Centre
152-154 Holywood Rd
Belfast
BT4 1NY