On Thursday 30th May at The Mac, Belfast Interface Project presented at a Community Engagement in Education Showcasing and Discussion Event to showcase the different areas of work taking place , and provide a space for further discussion on how to ensure parents and communities are engaged in the ongoing changes in our education system.
Three projects supported by the Integrated Education Fund, along with a series of consultation events run across Northern Ireland in conjunction with the Rural Community Network, provide communities with examples and experience of how communities can connect to education in a variety of different and effective ways. Sandy Row Community Forum, Belfast Interface Project with the Institute for Conflict Research, East Belfast Partnership with Inner East Youth Project, and the IEF and RCN, have all developed unique and valuable pieces of work in connecting communities to educational issues.
It is important to state that all the areas of work were non-prescriptive. While the different pieces of work were funded by the IEF, the goal of the project has been to provide a space for people to engage with a variety of different options for area planning, and for how to structure our education system generally. We hope that these pieces of work help to progress the debate on how education can be made viable and sustainable, how outcomes can be improved, and how it can contribute within shared future strategies.
