Schools of Reconciliation: Issues in Joint Roman Catholic-Anglican Education (Cassell, 1994)
by Priscilla Chadwick
From the late 1960s, public opinion favouring some integrated schooling became more vocal2, as segregation in education was mountingly seen to be one of the root causes of the perpetuation of community conflict. In 1966 Prime Minister Terence O'Neill even commented publicly at Corrymeela, rises from "de facto" segregation of education along religious lines' - a courageous statement from a government leader which is likely to have cost some votes, since it certainly implied that education separation brought social difficulties and that the wishes to see the segregation ended.3
In 1971 the Presbyterian General Assembly passed a formal resolution declaring that `integrated education would best service the social, economic, and educational needs of the community'. But the tender plant of hope and confidence was crushed by the progressive elimination of consensus and middle ground in Ulster politics. People of reason and moderation proved unable to deliver the goods and, particularly after the bloodshed in Derry in 1969, the violence of the IRA and the Protestant paramilitaries exacerbated the tension. London became convinced that it had to shoulder the burden of ruling Northern Ireland directly and, after 1974, services like education fell under the control of larger area boards directly answerable to the Secretary of State, thus reducing the power of local councils, many discredited by stories of scandalous bigotry and discrimination.
Despite the deeply discouraging political climate, the goal of establishing some integrated education had not been lost to sight. In 1973 a group of mainly Roman Catholic Parents, whose children were attending state schools, met to form the `All Children Together' movement. On the ground that these children were not being enrolled at Roman Catholic schools and therefore could not be given `admission cards', they were in effect being refused confirmation by their bishop, Dr Philbin of Down and Connor. When his announcement was read out publicly in several parishes at the Sunday mass, public concern and sympathy markedly increased. The parents decided to take on responsibility themselves for running Sunday classes of catechetical instruction and even managed to persuade a sympathetic bishop to hold a special confirmation in a neighbouring diocese in 1978. The All Children Together movement had passed a resolution in 1974 to become inter-denomination in response to many requests from Protestant parents who wished to show solidarity with their aims. The movement stated its aim as follows:
to seek the establishment of shared Christian schools were parents so wished (opinion polls show the majority in favour), brining together the two main Christian traditions and the two cultures in their fullness, in close cooperation with the Churches, knowing that where children grow up together in mutual respect they will no longer fear and hate each other. The members are convinced that Christ does not divide: he is the one solid ground of unity. They desire to awaken in their children a faith and love of God and man that is unitive, ecumenical, exciting, unfettered. (Lagan College Report, 1981-3)
At the same time, the Minister of Education in the power-sharing Executive at Storming (set up after the Sunningdale agreement of 1973), the Rt. Hon Basil McIvor (later first chairman of the governors of Lagan College), publicly stated his belief that `the mixing of school children would contribute to the reduction of community tension in Northern Ireland'. McIvor looked back on the situation of 1974 in the following terms;
I recognized the hesitation of the Churches arising from the understandable
anxiety about the religious upbringing of their children in schools not
under their management, but asked them earnestly to consider the very special
needs of Northern Ireland and to join the power-sharing Executive in a constructive
approach to meeting those needs. I had in mind the possibility of a new
management arrangement which could be accepted by either `controlled' (State)
schools of `maintained' (Catholic) schools, leading to a system of shared
schools which would operate alongside the existing system. (McIvor, 1984)
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