Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, a culture of silence envelops the violent conflict of the past, leaving teachers, particularly a new generation of teachers, unsure of how to approach their own history. The Department of Education introduced a new curriculum for history teachers including a requirement to explore the consequences of the "troubles". Teachers are best positioned to prepare young people to understand their history and encourage their complex thinking about these issues. However, teachers need support and training if they are to be effective in introducing complex ideas into the classroom in a way that doesn't perpetuate the divisiveness of the past. Appropriate preparation is even more critical when teachers have participated in and been shaped by the history they experienced, and can unwittingly perpetuate old notions of identity in their classrooms.

We have seen first hand the impact of the culture of silence around Northern Ireland's past. At a seminar in Belfast, the participants, all of whom were university students training to be teachers, struggled to remain "neutral" about the history of Northern Ireland, which led to an inability to engage in any kind of discussion. From our observations and feedback from participants, we know that our work had a positive impact on these new teachers and helped them develop skills to teach their complex history.