DUNDRUM comedian Patrick Kielty has called for an end to the segregation of education along religious lines in Northern Ireland.
He believes that someone like Good Friday Agreement peace talks chairman George Mitchell could be the man tasked with the job of overhauling the country’s “divided schools”.
At an Ulster University event in Belfast last week focusing on sectarianism, the Dundrum man said the segregated education issue needed to be addressed.
He also criticised what he described as the “casual sectarianism” and “tribalism” which characterises parts of society.
He continued: “I think we really have to address education, segregated education and I think that as a society we kind of have to start calling out that casual sectarianism.
“Whenever we had peace here we thought if we move on to a Glaswegian level of sectarianism that is fine, so we only hate each other every week when we go to football. That is not good enough. The tribalism of that is not good enough.”
The comedian also suggested that the integrated education term was “insulting”.
He explained: “Around the rest of the world that is called education. What we have in this country is segregated education.”
The Dundrum man also paid tribute to the “brilliant” work of teachers but said people felt those high standards were enough and did not tackle the underlying division.
“The natural platform of mixing and realising that we are exactly the same and having a school that has got a rugby team and a GAA team, you don’t have to go to that school if you like GAA. There are just certain things that we really need to have a look at and I am not sure that we are necessarily ready for it.”
Speaking at the Belfast event, Mr Kielty argued that changing the education system would have to be done by an international figure like former US senator George Mitchell.
“Once we actually get through it we will go, ‘gee why didn’t we do that before now?’, but it is a difficult one,” he conceded, suggesting that social media is contributing to the lack of exposure to different views.
“Your own opinion is folded back into yourself on the screen every day,” he said. “More than ever, we actually have to put the screen down and make an effort to realise that we are the same.
“We talk too much about difference here. You are either a British person living on the island of Ireland or you are an Irish person who is currently actually in the UK. You are actually a bit of both.”
Mr Kielty added: “The minute that we accept that that is going to move in a fluid way, and it is perfectly fine to be a bit of both, that is kind of where we need to be.”
Meanwhile, the charity which has been working for almost three decades to bridge the gap between starting integrated schools and securing full government support has welcomed Ulster University proposals for a concerted effort in Northern Ireland to eradicate sectarianism.
The university, supported by the Sir George Quigley Fund, launched ‘Sectarianism in Northern Ireland: a Review’ at a conference at the UU’s Belfast campus last week.
The Integrated Education Fund (IEF) — which was established in 1992 — praised the conference for addressing the issue and welcomed Patrick Kielty’s comments that educating all children together is the way forward for a shared future.
The review contains more than 50 proposals for how bodies including government, business, education, youth services, arts and sport could work collectively over a sustained period of time to foster greater collaboration and understanding across communities.
As well suggesting that a government department should be established specifically to tackle sectarianism, the researchers propose establishing a new civic body to help shape community efforts toward reconciliation.
IEF chief executive Tina Merron said the organisation “shares the vision, held by the overwhelming majority of citizens, of a united community and a shared future”.
Ms Merron said that at the signing of the Good Friday Agreement there were 12,000 pupils in 43 integrated schools, compared with more than 23,000 attending 65 integrated schools today.
She said that with no government plan for integrated education, the growth was down to “determined campaigners and pioneering parents”.
She added: “We see a reformed education system as an essential ingredient of this future; an education system which brings children, staff and governors from Catholic and Protestant traditions, as well as those of other faiths or none and of other cultures, together in schools, an education system which recognises and respects diversity and ensures that all young people feel confident and welcome in their school environment.”