Education in divided societies: Developing and researching shared education in the Republic of Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia

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It is generally accepted that education has a significant role to play in societies transitioning from conflict. Indeed, the education system potentially represents the single most effective agent of social change with the capacity to bridge ethnic division in conflict affected countries (Petroska-Beska & Najcevska, 2004). In Northern Ireland (NI), the education system is distinguishable by the degree of separation that exists between Catholic and Protestant faith communities. Currently, 93% of pupils attend predominately 'own' religion schools. Similarly, following the dissolution of Yugoslavia, wider ethnic divisions are now reflected in separate education systems in the Republic of Macedonia (Macedonia), Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), and Croatia. In post-conflict societies, these divisions can contribute to social fragmentation and inhibit the development of a 'shared society'.In 2007 an innovative approach to facilitate reconciliation through schools separated on ethnic or religious lines was developed in NI. Informed by intergroup contact theory (Allport, 1954), shared education aims to break down boundaries between separate schools by providing sustained, curriculum-based engagement between pupils. A corpus of research demonstrates the effectiveness of the programme in promoting harmonious intergroup relations. Shared education has received significant political support in NI, and from 2015, is being extended across the region via a Signature Programme coordinated by the Department of Education. Outside NI, shared education is being implemented in Israel and Macedonia and the model has attracted interest from academics and policymakers in other divided contexts, including South Africa, BiH and Croatia, although to date it has not been instigated in these countries. In view of the increasing internationalisation of the shared education model, we propose the creation of a strategic network across four jurisdictions (NI, Macedonia, BiH, and Croatia) of academics, practitioners, NGOs, and policymakers whose work contributes to peace building through the promotion of intergroup contact and intercultural dialogue in education, with a view to facilitate, promote, and develop models of shared education for each jurisdiction. The project employs a multi-stage design, beginning with a knowledge exchange seminar in NI providing network members an opportunity to learn more about the model and to see the implementation of the programme in NI schools. Further, it will facilitate initial thinking on the implications of shared education for partner countries, particularly regarding structural changes needed to facilitate programme implementation. This will be followed by a series of in-country knowledge exchange seminars in the participant States and capacity building activities to develop and support the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of shared education programmes; including, but not limited to, professional development for teachers and practitioners, workshops on developing and enhancing research skills key to programme evaluation, and on using research findings to advocate for policy change. The knowledge generated from these phases will inform the development of a research agenda to move forward shared education initiatives in each country, the establishment of a shared education advocacy group to advocate for policy change, and proposals to pursue pilot programmes in BiH and Croatia. Additionally, a comprehensive comparative research and evaluation programme will be developed to examine the impact of shared education in different educational and societal contexts, with a view to refining the model and developing best practice nationally and internationally. Ultimately, building the capacity of key stakeholders to develop and initiate shared education has the capability of fostering more harmonious intergroup relations to transmute the social landscape of participant societies.