NI schools – work towards inclusion

Sir, – Further to Diarmaid Ferriter’s article “Much of discord in Northern Ireland rooted in failure to integrate schools” (Opinion & Analysis, November 5th), there is a wealth of good inclusive practice across schools in Northern Ireland. Controlled Schools’ Support Council (CSSC) is the sectoral body for controlled schools. The controlled sector is the largest education sector in Northern Ireland. The sector encompasses every phase from nursery to post-primary including grammar and special schools. There are controlled, controlled integrated, controlled Irish medium and controlled grammar schools.

The modern controlled sector is inclusive, welcoming pupils from all backgrounds, cultures and religions. The ethos of the sector clearly states that controlled schools are open to all faiths and none, in providing high-quality education for children and young people to enable them to learn, develop and grow together.

Is inclusion a journey? Of course it is, and CSSC supports controlled schools through this in a number of ways, including providing training in ethos development.

Some 49 per cent of children and young people attend controlled schools in Northern Ireland. An inclusive debate with a commitment to collaboration is crucial and CSSC, representing controlled schools, is ready and willing to be part of this.