To ask the Minister of Education why according to his Department's Shared Education policy a single school that is jointly managed is treated as a shared school while a single integrated school is not treated as a shared school and is therefore placed on a spectrum of shared school options.

Shared Education aims to improve educational outcomes (including reconciliation outcomes) resulting from schools working collaboratively on a cross-community basis.

Section 4 of the ‘Sharing Works’ policy sets out a description for Shared Education which includes:

“ .. involves schools and other education providers of differing ownership, sectoral identity and ethos, management type or governance arrangement;”

As per paragraph 4.17 of ‘Circular 2015/5 - Jointly Managed Schools’ a ‘voluntary maintained’ management type is likely to be the most practicable management type for a jointly managed school.

In progressing Shared Education, a jointly managed school, as is the case for an Integrated school, would be required to collaborate with a school of a different management type as set out in the policy description.

It is my intention to bring forward a Shared Education Bill which will provide a statutory definition of Shared Education and avoid any possible confusion.