In this article former pupil of Erne Integrated College, Sacha White, outlines her experience of Integrated Education. This article first appeared in the Fermanagh Herald in January 2022.
This academic year marks the 40th year of integrated education here in Northern Ireland, with 65 schools having opened since Lagan College paved the way in 1981. Of that number, 20 are post-primary schools, spread across the 6 counties, with the most westerly here in Enniskillen.
When I first started Erne Integrated College at the age of 11, I’m not sure if I knew what the ‘integrated’ in the school’s name really meant. I remember it being the most difficult bit to spell (I somehow always managed to add another ‘r’ in there), and I had been told that it was to do with people of different religious backgrounds. At that point, I was just nervous about going to big school—fitting in and finding friends. Discovering what integration really involved, and how it shaped the school and its pupils, was something I realised slowly, over time, and only now can look back and fully appreciate.
One thing I noticed from the beginning was the community of inclusion and individuality in the school. There were thriving Music, P.E. and Drama departments, and so many of the students took part in one or all of them. The art classrooms were always busy too, and the walls in the corridor outside always had impactful pieces on display. In all these areas, students from across the school got together to participate. The choir, for example, had members from first year all the way through to sixth form, who practiced and performed together throughout the school year. This sense of inclusion was fostered by the teachers and staff, who created a warm environment in which pupils were encouraged to be themselves and pursue their individual goals. Not only was there strong academic support, but the level of pastoral care at the school was fantastic.
Vital to the teaching in the school was an understanding of cultural and social diversity, as well as differences in religion and background. This was carried through every aspect of learning; from Religion classes which focussed on other belief systems as much as they did on Christianity and the difference in denominations; to English where we studied literature from around the world as well as from closer to home. This integrated approach to learning set me up for the world beyond school, and when I went to university in England after leaving EIC, I took these lessons with me. I left feeling equipped to build relationships with those from backgrounds and cultures different to my own.
Much of what I learned about integration happened without me even realising. This, to me, is what integrated education is all about, it occurs not just at the level of religion or denomination, but in all aspects of school and community life. When integration works best, it is invisible, it is an absence of barrier or division and has the power to make real and lasting change. That has been my experience, and one that I hope will be shared by many more in the years to come.
Sacha White is a former student of Erne Integrated College. She is currently working towards a Master’s Degree in Poetry at Queen’s University Belfast where her poetry has been awarded the Ireland Chair of Poetry award. Sacha has published a number of poems and has also produced commissioned written pieces for theatre and visual art projects. Sacha has been co-editor and contributing editor of a number of literary publications.
