Education Minister Paul Givan has laid the fifth statutory report on Advancing Shared Education before the Northern Ireland Assembly, revealing mixed progress in the sector. While the number of schools and pre-school settings participating in shared partnerships has grown to over 650, the total number of pupils actually taking part has fallen by more than 9,000 since the previous reporting period.
Covering the period April 2024 to March 2026, the report is required under the Shared Education (Northern Ireland) Act 2016. It details how the Department of Education, the Education Authority, and other bodies have complied with their duties to “encourage, facilitate and promote” shared learning opportunities for children from different religious, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds.
Participation Trends: A Growing Reach, Shrinking Numbers
According to the most recent data available as of June 2025, 651 schools and pre-school settings across Northern Ireland are now involved in Shared Education structures. This represents 46% of all pre-school, primary, post-primary, and special schools in the region.
However, the statistics reveal a striking contradiction. Despite more institutions joining partnerships, pupil participation has dropped sharply. Around 60,000 children and young people took part in shared learning during 2024/25—down from 69,217 in the previous biennial period. This reduction of 9,218 pupils means only 17% of the total pupil population is currently engaged in shared education activities.
The decline comes against a backdrop of falling school rolls. Recent statistics from NISRA show post-primary pupil numbers dropped for the first time in nine years in 2025/26, while primary school enrolments continue a long-term decline. Whether demographic shifts fully account for the participation drop, or whether structural barriers are preventing pupils from accessing shared opportunities, remains unclear from the report.
Minister Hails PEACEPLUS Investment
Minister Givan highlighted the commencement of the PEACEPLUS programme in 2024 as a significant milestone. The cross-border funding initiative includes the ASPIRE project (Advancing Shared Partnerships through Inclusive Relationships in Education), which received €34.5 million (£29 million) from the Special EU Programmes Body.
Paul Givan said:
“I welcome the continued progress that has been made during this reporting period. Shared Education is continuing to make a real difference, providing opportunities for children and young people from different religious, cultural and socio‑economic backgrounds to learn together. In 2024/25, over 650 schools and pre‑school settings across Northern Ireland were involved in Shared Education partnerships, enabling 60,000 children and young people to participate in shared learning experiences.”
The Minister also emphasised the importance of new youth-focused initiatives and Shared Education Campuses, noting:
“The commencement of PEACEPLUS in 2024, including the PEACEPLUS ASPIRE project and new youth‑focused initiatives, marked a significant step forward in expanding the reach of Shared Education. This supports my Department’s mainstreaming agenda, which seeks to normalise sharing and allow all children and young people to enjoy shared learning opportunities throughout their education. I am also encouraged by continued progress on Shared Education Campuses, which represent a powerful and visible commitment to a shared future.”
The ASPIRE project aims to engage up to 110,000 pupils and 1,761 educators in long-term cross-sectoral and cross-border partnerships over the next four years. By June 2025, it had already reached 17,345 pupils across 336 settings.
Funding Constraints and Mainstreaming Challenges
The report acknowledges the “extremely difficult financial climate” facing Northern Ireland’s education system. The Department allocated £4 million through the Education Authority to support mainstream Shared Education programmes for 2024/25 and 2025/26, but officials estimate an additional £1 million to £1.5 million per year is needed to boost participation rates.
The Mainstreaming Shared Education programme—designed to embed shared learning as standard practice rather than a special project—saw participation rise slightly from 41,633 to 42,654 pupils. Notably, post-primary pupil numbers in this specific programme grew from 11,094 to 12,543, bucking the wider trend of decline.
Reflecting on the broader impact, Paul Givan said:
“The evidence in this report demonstrates that Shared Education is delivering educational benefits, promoting equality of opportunity, fostering good relations, and supporting community cohesion. These outcomes are more important than ever as we continue to build a more inclusive and cohesive society. While challenges remain, continued collaboration across the education system and in our communities will ensure our children and young people can learn, grow, and thrive together.”
Critical Questions Remain
While the report points to educational benefits and improved community relations, several gaps in the data and policy response warrant scrutiny:
- Why has pupil participation fallen by over 9,000 despite 22 additional schools joining partnerships since 2023?
- How will the Department ensure the ASPIRE project’s ambitious target of 110,000 pupils translates into sustained, long-term participation once PEACEPLUS funding concludes in 2028?
- What specific barriers are preventing post-primary pupils from accessing shared education, given the report’s admission that “not enough pupils get the chance to take part” at this level?
- With only 17% of the pupil population currently engaged, what concrete steps will be taken to reach the remaining 83%, particularly in areas with high levels of residential segregation?
- How will the Department measure “good relations” and community cohesion outcomes beyond simple participation statistics?
What to Watch For
The full 2026 report is now available on the Department of Education website. The next biennial report will be due in 2028, by which time the ASPIRE project will be nearing completion.
Stakeholders will be monitoring whether the promised additional £1.5 million annual investment materialises, and whether the Limavady Shared Education Campus—the first of its kind, opened in February 2024—serves as a model for further capital developments or remains an isolated example. With the Strule Shared Education Campus in Omagh still under development and facing delays, the pace of physical shared infrastructure remains a concern.
As Northern Ireland continues to grapple with educational underfunding and demographic decline, the tension between the Minister’s “mainstreaming” ambitions and the reality of falling participation will likely define the next phase of shared education policy.