2006-2008
The immediate aim of this project is to build on the experience of the successful first phase of the North/South Student-Teacher Exchange project (2002-2005) in order to provide evidence, through a fourth year of exchanges feeding into an in-depth longitudinal research study, of the need to ‘mainstream’ a system of trainee teachers doing a key part of their teaching practice in schools in the other Irish jurisdiction. The longer-term aim is to create a cohort of young teachers, North and South, who have had experience in working in primary schools in the other jurisdiction and will thus be able to influence future generations of pupils in prejudice reduction and greater mutual understanding, both vital for peace and reconciliation on the island of Ireland.
It will also strengthen the links already forged by the 2002-2005 first phase (funded by Measure 5.2 of the Peace and Reconciliation Programme) between six colleges of education on the island: the mainly Protestant Stranmillis University College and the Catholic St Mary’s University College in Northern Ireland; and the Church of Ireland College of Education and the three mainly Catholic colleges – St Patrick’s College Drumcondra, Marino Institute of Education and Froebel College of Education – in Dublin (EU restrictions about the geographical spread of project expenditure have ruled out Mary Immaculate College in Limerick from Phase Two).
