BUILDING stronger links between schools and the communities they serve can aid social inclusion and have a positive impact on health and educational outcomes, ministers have said.
Education minister John o'Dowd and culture, arts and leisure minister Caral ni Chuilin jointly launched guidance designed to encourage more schools to open up their facilities for use by the wider community.
Mr o'Dowd said his objective was to raise standards in education and ensure that every child could fulfil their potential.
Community, parental and family involvement in schools, he said, was well recognised for the positive impact it could have on educational outcomes.
"Schools opening their gates and facilities can lead to improved relationships with the local community thus creating a sense of local owner-ship," he said.
"From that sense of ownership, the school is seen as a hub within the community offering lifelong access for learning and participation in its widest sense."
Mr o'Dowd said many schools had a long history of engaging with their community and making facilities available to others.
"It is pleasing to see the level of engagement of schools with their communities but there is further scope for improvement and I hope that this guidance will encourage others to do so," he added.
Ms ni Chuilin said by making facilities more accessible, schools could help increase sporting participation in the community.
"This, in turn, will promote health and fitness by encouraging people to get active," she said.
"opening the doors outside of school hours can provide a wealth of benefits for the wellbeing of our society.
"These include improving access to sporting provision in areas of deprivation, helping to tackle poverty and social exclusion and providing opportunities to improve mental health."