Save the "Sharing Languages, Sharing Cultures Project"

Shimna Integrated College’s Sharing Languages, Sharing Cultures (SLSC) programme is now in its sixth year. The programme means that for six years primary school children in our area have been learning languages together in shared classes as part of their regular, normal, weekly learning.

The response from the children, their parents and the local communities has been hugely supportive, so much so that the project has expanded each year from an initial 156 pupils from 10 schools receiving shared language lessons in 2007 to 371 pupils from 16 schools in 2012.

SLSC has been made possible through funding very generously provided by Atlantic Philanthropies and in the most recent three years by Dr Gerard O'Hare. We have also had the support of Queen's University and the Integrated Education Fund. The funding was provided to allow Shimna Integrated College to prove the value of an opportunity for children in local, rural, single identity schools with values deeply rooted in their community to learn together and to learn languages. We believe that the children, the schools and the communities have quietly proved the value of the programme. They have also proved it more noisily at our wonderful graduation ceremonies in the last two years, at the first of which First Minister Peter Robinson presented the graduation certificates to thunderous applause. And this year over 600 parents, teachers and children had an Irish history lesson – according to Tim McGarry!

We believe the Department of Education should mainstream and fund the project because it is:

*Adaptable to other areas of NI

* In line with the current emphasis on modern language skills

*In line with Stormont Policy of cohesion, sharing and integration.

Shared education and early language learning are two very positive priorities of the Department of Education and we would ask for your signature in support of our petition for funding to mainstream the provision we have proved to be so effective.