Countries that have suffered ethnic or religious conflict and become segregated societies reflect these divisions in education provision for their children. Northern Ireland is a case study in point where a parallel system of schools offers education in Catholic maintained schools and Protestant (de facto) controlled schools. While school segregation is the most obvious manifestation of Northern Ireland's fractured society, there are more important issues of 'educational inequality' with respect to schools and pupils. This book analyses three issues in some detail: segregation, educational performance and inequality in educational outcomes between schools and between pupils from deprived and affluent family backgrounds. Thus far public policies to tackle these issues have been met with limited success. The authors consider an alternative approach, which they term 'shared education', the aim of which is to improve school performance and, in so doing, to dismantle some of the barriers between maintained and controlled schools.

Contents List of abbreviations, acronyms and glossary of terms Preface CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION - DIVIDED COMMUNITIES Divided communities Behavioural Vs structural approaches to division The 'parallel lives' thesis A shared and equal future? CHAPTER 2: THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF EDUCATION IN NORTHERN IRELAND Education in Ireland Education in Northern Ireland Improving community relations through schools Integrated education: Education for mutual understanding (EMU): Cross-community contact scheme (CCCS). Segregation Vs integration in education Is integrated education the solution? CHAPTER 3: THE EDUCATION POLICY CONTEXT Political background Declining violence Tackling segregation A reconciled society? Shared Space Building a United Community? Education in Northern Ireland School Structures School performance Education segregation Tackling segregation and inequality CHAPTER 4: POST-PRIMARY SCHOOLS' PERFORMANCE School performance Salient Features of Northern Ireland's Post-Primary Schools Pupil Absenteeism A Multivariate analysis of School Performance School Size, Financial Stress, and Area Boards Single Sex versus Co-educational Schools FSM and SEN pupils Catholic versus Protestant Schools Explaining Absenteeism Is there a Catholic Ethos? Summary findings CHAPTER 5: INEQUALITY AND SEGREGATION Inequality and segregation Differences in educational outcomes between Grammar and Secondary Schools Differences in Educational Outcomes between Secondary Schools Difficulties of Accessing Grammar Schools by FSM and SEN pupils Selection Tests: FSM pupils and Grammar School Admission The performance gap - underachievement and inequality The deprivation-induced performance gap Segregation in schools Measuring Segregation Summary findings CHAPTER 6: SHARED EDUCATION - AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH Collaborative learning Shared Education The Shared Education Programme - its inception Shared Education - its theoretical underpinnings Shared Education - implementation Shared Education - Impact Education Vs Reconciliation benefits Impact on Primary schools CHAPTER 7: THE ECONOMICS OF SHARED EDUCATION The Economics of Shared Education Programme The Case Studies Case Study A: Lumen Christi/Foyle College Case Study B: Belfast High School/Dominican College/Hazelwood Integrated Case Study C: Belfast Model School for Girls Case Study D: Shimna Integrated College Measuring the Economic Benefits Measuring the reconciliation benefits CHAPTER 8: CONCLUSIONS - EMBEDDING SHARED EDUCATION REFERENCES