The Fermanagh Trust Sharing Education Programme

Click on the link for the project site

The Fermanagh Trust Shared Education Programme develops linkages between schools from different sectors and builds bridges between the two main communities creating the potential for future joint working, sharing and collaborating in education more.... Through the Shared Education Programme which is managed and administered by Fermanagh Trust, schools have benefited from delivering curriculum-based courses including history, science, literacy, art and drama in a shared setting

The Programme operates at both primary and post primary level and is now entering its third year, 2011-2012. This academic year will see 46% of primary school pupils (up 4% from the previous year) participating in joint cross-sectoral classes with another school on a regular basis. This is across 19 primary school partnerships. There are also five post primary partnerships in existence – which includes all the 14 post primary schools in the county.

Funded by the International Fund for Ireland and the Atlantic Philanthropies, the Fermanagh Trust Shared Education Programme provides grant aid to schools in the county to deliver part of the curriculum jointly with another local school on a cross-community basis over a 3 year period (2009 -2012). The Programme is open to all schools in Fermanagh, both primary and post primary. 

Shared Education in Post-Primary Schools - Year 3 will also see ALL post-primary schools in the county involved in Shared Education.  One of the new Shared Education initiatives, which has been approved for year three, is a further development of the linkage between two schools in Lisnaskea – St Comhghall’s College and Lisnaskea High School.  During the 2010-2011 year both schools - along with St Eugene’s College, Roslea and St Aidan’s High School, Derrylin - delivered a very successful joint literacy programme, which led to a significant rise in literacy among participating pupils. 

The two Lisnaskea-based post-primary schools now wish to further develop their working relationship through joint art classes for Year 9 and Year 11 pupils.  This initiative will enable the Key Stage 3 pupils achieve their ICT Accreditation, and for the GCSE pupils it will contribute to the building of Art & Design coursework portfolios - an essential part of the assessment process. 

In summary - Primary and post primary schools in Fermanagh have experienced the benefits of Shared Education over the past two years and it is obvious that this is something they wish to see continue and grow.  By working collaboratively with a neighbouring school from a different sector, aspects of the curriculum can be delivered more effectively and Shared Education has been proven to enhance the educational opportunities for pupils across the County. 

Shared Education requires ‘thinking outside the box’ and the programme helps schools provide a more holistic and enriching educational experience for their pupils. 

Considering the many dilemmas facing education in Fermanagh, Shared Education provides an opportunity to look at new ways to provide the best education for our children.