Ms Ruane said “Every education setting, whether early years, youth club or school, reflects our wider society and its increasing diversity. I have therefore established a working group to examine the current Department of Education community relations policy. The review will take account of that growing diversity, the introduction of the citizenship element of the curriculum, and the key drivers affecting the education system in relation to enhanced collaboration.”
The Minister emphasised: “This is to ensure that we continue to enable children and young people to explore issues around diversity and encourage them to think about how people of differing political, religious, ethnic and cultural traditions can live together in communities where difference is celebrated rather than feared or misunderstood.
“Good relations between the two main traditions in the north of Ireland are important, but we must also address a wider vision of good relations and diversity that embraces the many communities of interest which our society now welcomes."
It is envisaged that the policy review will commence in June 2008.
Notes to Editors:
1. Members of the Working Group are:
Kathleen Cassidy - Primary and Early Years Inspector, Department of Education.
Lynsey Cathcart – Board’s Senior Youth Worker, Western Education Library Board
Michael Graham – Assistant Advisory Officer, North Eastern Education and Library Board.
Kathleen Gormley – Principal, St Cecilia’s College, Derry
Joanne Hughes – Professor of Education at Queen’s University, Belfast.
Paula Keenan – Independent Chair of the Participation Network.
Paddy Kelly – Director of the Children’s Law Centre and human rights lawyer
Eileen Lavery – Head of Strategic Enforcement, Equality Commission
Nichola Lynagh – Training Officer, Regional Training Unit.
Gordon McCoy – Development Officer, Ulster Language, Traditions and Cultural Heritage
Sinead McShane – Youth Officer for Social Inclusion. South Eastern Education and Library Board
Alan McMurray – Assistant Principal Officer / Project Manager, Council for Curriculum Examinations and Assessment (CCEA).
Duncan Morrow – Chief Executive Officer, Community Relations Council
Norma Rea – Development Officer, Youth Council.
David Russell – Head of Communications and Education, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and a Visiting Research Fellow at the School of Education, Queen’s University, Belfast.
Billy Tate – Principal, Belvoir Park Primary School, Belfast.
Louise Warde-Hunter – Head of Early Years, Youth and Schools Finance Division, Department of Education.
Patrick Yu – Executive Director, Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities.
2. Media queries to the Department of Education Press Office on 028 9127 9755. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Office via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
