Just a tiny fraction of post-primary school children in Northern Ireland are involved in cross-community school activities, it was revealed today.
In a divided community where the vast majority of Catholic children go to Catholic schools and Protestant children to Protestant schools efforts have been made to break down barriers and create links between schools from the two communities.
But Ms Marion Matchett, Chief Inspector at the Department of Education in Northern Ireland, said although 50 per cent of grammar and secondary schools were involved in cross-community work, only 3 per cent of the pupils in those schools were involved.
Addressing the North of England Education Conference, taking place in Belfast, on Education for Pluralism in Northern Ireland, she revealed figures showing that things were better, but not good, in primary schools.
In that sector 53 per cent of schools participated but only 21 per cent of their children were involved.
"This highlights clearly the challenge that we face to promote, on an individual basis, a better understanding of diversity, difference and pluralism," she said.
She likened the two communities to "two different rail companies whose lines seldom cross".
The Education for Mutual Understanding programme under which links are forged between individual schools on opposite sides of the community was begun in 1989.
PA
