Major step forward for Integrated Education

The recent High Court ruling on the judicial review taken by Drumragh Integrated College, Omagh, is making a welcome impact on levels of government support for Integrated Education.

This was evident in the debate on 17 June in the Assembly on a motion brought by Trevor Lunn, Alliance, welcoming the decision and calling on the Minister of Education to place article 64 at the heart of educational planning.  The motion was accepted by and supported by the Minister.

Noreen Campbell, CEO of NICIE said:

“NICIE welcomes the very positive comments of the Minister yesterday in the debate on integrated education. For some time there has been an increased interest in and a greater public debate around integrated education. There is a definite sense that the time has come for the Department to be more proactive in its support for integrated education. The recent ruling reminded the Minister and DE of its legal responsibility to encourage and facilitate Integrated Education. Yesterday the Minister made clear that he fully accepted this responsibility, both through his comments and by the vote of himself and his party in favour of the motion.

There is a consensus forming that a way must be found to meet parental demand for integrated education with sufficient places available and with an integrated choice in every area. The mechanism of Area Based Planning allows this to happen but only if this planning is carried out on an area basis, identifying parental demand for the type of school they wish and then ensuring that this preference is met on an area basis. The planning authorities: the Area Boards and CCMS, can no longer presume to speak on behalf of parents and to impose their sectoral plans on them. Replicating what has always existed is no longer an option.

I welcome the recognition given to the work of NICIE in seeking innovative routes to increasing integrated provision and look forward to taking forward proposals on how this might be done.

The debate yesterday also showed that much is still to be done in educating all of our politicians on what we mean by integrated education and on the legal responsibility placed on the government by the statutory duty, which does in effect allow for positive discrimination in favour of integrated education. This is nothing to be feared. It does not involve loss for our children; it does not impact on parental choice for a single identity or faith education. It does recognise that the human right of parents to have their children educated together is respected. It does recognise that in a divided society the power of education can be harnessed to overcome division and to shape a better, shared and cohesive future.”