PARENT POWER AND THE CREATION OF INTEGRATED SCHOOLS

Parental choice is a central part of Northern Ireland’s education system. One of the themes that emerged in the community engagement workshops and oral history interviews recorded as part of this project was the key role that parents played in establishing some of the first integrated schools.

In this discussion, two founder parents, Professor Alan Smith (Mill Strand Integrated Primary School) and Anne Carr (All Children’s Integrated Primary School), will share their stories of establishing new integrated schools in the 1980s. The discussion will be led by journalist and broadcaster Robbie Meredith.

Biographies

Professor Alan Smith held the UNESCO Chair in Education at Ulster University for more than 20 years. He has more than 30 years’ experience of research on education, conflict and peacebuilding in international development contexts. Professor Smith was a founding parent of Mill Strand Integrated Nursery and Primary School and involved with the establishment of the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education and the Integrated Education Fund.

Anne Carr was co-ordinator of the Women Together organisation in the 1990s and from 1997 to 2001 served as a local councillor for the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition. She currently works with the Community Dialogue organisation and was recently appointed for a second term to the Board of the International Fund for Ireland. Anne was a founder parent of All Children’s Integrated Primary School in Newcastle and was later fundamental in the drive to develop Shimna Integrated College.