Written evidence submitted by The Integrated Education Fund (IEF), relating to Integrated Education inquiry (IED0058).
Introduction / Summary
The IEF vision is for a reconciled and peaceful Northern Ireland where it is the norm for children and young people of all backgrounds to attend the same schools, wear the same uniforms and learn in the same classrooms. In 21st century Europe that is the way it should be.
In the 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement was concluded, Northern Ireland has made progress in a number of areas, however, there has been little progress in tackling the cause and reflection of a divided society – segregation. Whilst peace barriers are still evident, and segregation in housing and education continue to be the norm, Northern Ireland will never be truly reconciled, and the peace process will be incomplete.
We urge the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee to make the ending of segregation the number one policy priority for the next 25 years of this peace process.
Around the time that we marked 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement, which includes a commitment to Integrated Education, we were delighted to get strong endorsement from the UK and Irish governments. In 2022 the then Secretary of State Brandon Lewis MP said that “the greater integration of education is an absolute priority for me…This is an essential element of the reconciliation process”[1]. That same year the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, said that Integrated Education “was both needed and overwhelmingly wanted, and was a key element to a successful, inclusive and harmonious Northern Ireland”[2].
As those that had shaped and concluded the Good Friday Agreement assembled in Belfast at Easter 2023, the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak MP, said that “integrated education should be the norm, not the exception, in 25 years”[3].
In fact, in 2005 the Select Committee on Northern Ireland Affairs’ Ninth Report stated in Recommendation 26: “The issue of integrated education, which should be in the front rank for Departmental activity, appears to be given less
priority than it merits. We were struck by the evidence that, while sixty per cent of people in Northern Ireland would prefer to send their children to a mixed religion school, only five per cent can do so currently. There may be many people who would not wish to send their children to an integrated school. We respect their right not to do so. However, the evidence is that very many more wish to than there are currently places in school to accommodate them. There is also evidence that integrated education can help to heal sectarian wounds. We expect the Government to look with renewed urgency at this issue, in particular, at how those who wish take up integrated education for their sons and daughters may do so without undue delay.“
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmselect/cmniaf/548/54811. htm
We strongly endorse these comments and warmly welcome the commitment of the UK and Irish governments including in the June 2023 British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference conclusions: “The Conference underlined the importance of integrated education and tackling educational disadvantage as being essential aspects of the reconciliation process in Northern Ireland.” https://www.gov.uk/government/news/biigc-june-2023-joint-communique
We believe the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee should embrace significant targets to embed the peace process in the next 25 years, including:
• A target to have a single education system in Northern Ireland
• To boldly state that by 2035, at least 25% of all pupils in Northern Ireland should be attending an Integrated school, reflecting demand and reflecting what is normal elsewhere in Europe.
• A strategy and action plan by the Department of Education, properly resourced, that reflects and genuinely seeks to achieve that bold target
• The creation of a cross-departmental commitment to foster growth and development of Integrated Education and fulfil the many intergovernmental commitments made about Integrated Education
• A new single and independent area planning process for all schools to enable greater efficiency and plan for local areas based on need, rather than on the effectively duplicated basis currently.
1. What is the current and anticipated demand for Integrated school places?
The current availability of Integrated school places does not equate to demand. Many communities do not have a realistic option of an Integrated school either because no Integrated school exists in their area or because, as is most often the case, the existing Integrated schools are oversubscribed. This issue requires improving the way demand for Integrated Education is captured through research and the schools admissions portal. This could be achieved by designing appropriate survey questions, using administrative data portals, and undertaking qualitative and mixed-methods research, as recommended in 2023 by ARK, Northern Ireland’s social policy hub established in 2000 by researchers at Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University.
https://www.ark.ac.uk/ARK/projects/Demand-for-Integrated-Education
A. In 2023, an independent polling and market research company LucidTalk, completed a survey into the support for Integrated Education that indicated that 66% of people throughout Northern Ireland agreed that Integrated Education should be the norm. Of this 66%, nearly three quarters (73%) are aged between 18- 34 years old, suggesting the younger generation are overwhelmingly supportive of Integrated Education. 65% of all the respondents would support their local school transforming to an Integrated school.
https://www.ief.org.uk/2023/05/16/integratededucationshouldbenorm/
B. In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of schools exploring Transformation to Integrated status. Since 2019, there have been 24 parental ballots held by schools where parents supported their school becoming Integrated. The percentage of voting parents saying ‘yes’ to Integrated status has ranged from 71% to 100%. Some of these school include small rural settings seeking to remain open but also some of large primary and post-primary schools such as Cairnshill Primary School (563) and the largest school in Northern Ireland - Bangor Academy (1803).
In addition, there are several schools currently exploring Transformation to Integrated status.
C. According to the Northern Ireland Good Relations Indicators 2021 Report
(Published in October 2023) – “Preference for Integrated Education is an important indicator of attitudes towards other communities, as well as an indicator of preference for a shared community.”
In 2021/22, 16% of first preference applications to post-primary Integrated schools did not result in admission to that school.
“Since 2013/14, there has been a significant increase in the percentage of first preference applications to post-primary integrated schools that do not result in admissions to that school – an increase of 6 percentage points (2021/22: 16%; 2013/14: 10%). This represents an increasing over-subscription to popular postprimary integrated schools.”
D. ARK’s annual public attitude surveys
The most recent Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey (2022) asked:
“And if you were deciding where to send your children to school, would you prefer a school with children of only your own religion, or a mixed-religion school?” https://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2022/
68% stated preference for a mixed religion school (the IEF understands this would apply to non-Integrated schools as well as formally Integrated).
In the 2023 Young Life and Times Survey, 53% of respondents (16 year olds) would prefer to send their children to a mixed-religion school. https://www.ark.ac.uk/ylt/2023/Community_Relations/OWNMXSCH.html
E. Peace Summit Report 2023
This report compiled by the John and Pat Hume Foundation and Community Dialogue summarised the key issues and common themes emerging from a series of engagement events. These events were with young people, peacebuilding practitioners, community groups and ordinary citizens from across Northern Ireland and the border counties during the period October 2022 to May 2023. The consultation took some eight months and engaged at least 700 individuals in 30 events. Consultation events endeavoured to include people from different religious and political beliefs, sexual orientations, class backgrounds, racial groups, gender and disability. During the consultation, participants were asked to reflect on peace and reconciliation over the past 25 years and consider their aspirations for the future.
The Summit concluded that:
“There was broad support for Integrated Education during the Peace Summit events. Whilst it was not seen as a miraculous cure to the conflict, across the age ranges, it was seen as necessary to normalise society and decrease sectarianism. The cost of duplicating services, or what some called the cost of division, was raised at the Peace Summit conference, particularly in terms of education.”
One youth engagement participant said:
“Integrated schools promote inclusivity in multiple areas such as the workplace or friendships or even wider in places like housing…in Northern Ireland we have a very tribal view on life, where you’re from one side or you’re from the other side but with inclusivity, it means there’s no more of that and we can live together in harmony and promote peace.”
https://humefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Peace-Summit-ACall-to-Action-24-May-2023.pdf
F. Pivotal – Public Policy Think Tank Reports
A key theme for this research is reconciliation. Evidence suggests that young people in Northern Ireland live in a highly segregated community. This extends to education with an estimated 93% of children in Northern Ireland educated in separate school systems (Milliken, 2021). Results from the Pivotal Youth Voices survey of 14–25 year olds indicated that young people were positive towards the idea of more Integrated Education schools:
• 77% reported more integration in schools would help increase understanding between young people of diverse backgrounds
• 75% felt that schools provided a good place for young people from diverse backgrounds to meet
• 63.5% of young people agreed that they would prefer young people from diverse backgrounds to be educated together
As 66.9% of participants agreed that a new Integrated school system would move Northern Ireland forward, young people’s views on Integrated Education were explored further in all the focus groups. Thematic analysis revealed twice as many positive comments around Integrated Education compared to
negative comments. This was corroborated through the less / more exercise as more Integrated schools was the top priority for young people in terms of making education better. Most young people recognised Integrated Education having a dual role in reducing sectarianism and promoting understanding of others. Support was given by many young people for integration within education to start as early as possible such as in nursery or primary school: https://www.pivotalppf.org/cmsfiles//Report-3B-FINAL.pdf
G. The IEF commissioned and published a report by ARK on ‘Demand for Integrated Education in Northern Ireland’ on 4 May 2023.
The report made two recommendations:
Recommendation 1: Improving the way demand for Integrated Education is captured through research and the schools admissions portal. This could be achieved by designing appropriate survey questions, using administrative data portals, and undertaking qualitative and mixed-methods research.
Recommendation 2: Promote a greater understanding of Integrated Education and its unique contribution to the education system in Northern Ireland, to understand demand specific to Integrated Education. This could be achieved through promoting the added value of Integrated schools academically, pastorally and through extra-curricular activities. In addition, increasing the availability and accessibility of information on Integrated Education for parents, children and young people is required.
https://www.ark.ac.uk/ARK/projects/Demand-for-Integrated-Education
https://datavis.nisra.gov.uk/executiveofficeni/ni-good-relations-2020report.html https://www.ark.ac.uk/ylt/2023/Community_Relations/OWNMXSCH.html
H. The Integrated Education Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 was passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly by a majority of MLAs (49 to 38). The Act requires the Department of Education “to encourage, facilitate and support” Integrated Education.
http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/assembly-business/legislation/2017-2022-
mandate/non-executive-bill-proposals/integrated-education-bill/
2. Why has the supply of Integrated Education not matched demand; and what mechanisms might be used to do so?
The current supply of Integrated schools is not the result of pro-active government planning; they have been created by parental action either through setting up new schools or through parents voting in favour of the Transformation of their child’s school to Integrated status.
The Government, until a successful Judicial Review in 2014, would not support increased enrolments in Integrated schools as it might have an impact on existing non-Integrated schools. Previously, enrolments in Integrated schools were capped by the Department of Education, thus impacting on the supply of more Integrated school places.
Not all proposals for the Transformation of existing schools are approved by the Department as there may be concerns about the sustainability of some smaller schools.
Several Integrated schools are oversubscribed and over the past few years around one in five applications for pupils to attend an Integrated school are not accommodated.
Area Planning (the process of planning the school estate) is the statutory responsibility of two different government funded bodies namely the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) and the Education Authority (EA), and evidence would suggest this approach has not been successful in advancing the cross sectoral solutions suggested by the Bain Review of Education as far back as 2006.
“In accordance with A Shared Future, proposals for new schools, or reorganisation, or rationalisation of schools should demonstrate that options for collaboration and sharing on a cross-community basis have been considered and fully explored.” (Bain Review, 2006) https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/id/eprint/9777/1/review_of_education.pdf
What mechanisms would help?
• Effective and reliable mechanisms that measure parental demand for preferred type of school
• Community Consultation on type of school provision
• Area Planning that considers evidence and demand for school types
• The Department of Education taking action that supports, encourages and facilitates Integrated Education including providing financial resources, information and target setting
• Legislation that allows for cross sector amalgamation and merger eg all Development Proposals for closures and amalgamations of existing schools should be required to demonstrate explicitly in their ‘Case for Change’ that they have given meaningful consideration to a sustainable Integrated, jointly managed or shared solution.
• Additional financial support for schools embarking on the Transformation process.
• Research that examines additional value of Integrated Education on educational experience
Whilst the IEF welcomed the publication of the Integrated Education Strategy and Action Plan in April 2023 by the Department of Education, the IEF were disappointed and concerned that it did not meet the requirements of the Integrated Education Act (Northern Ireland) 2022.
IEF will continue to engage with the Department to develop a strategy that fulfils the requirements of the Act. At this stage the IEF hopes the Department fulfils its obligation going forward to consult widely and pro-actively with Integrated schools, parents and pupils, and others interested in ending duplication and supporting a more Integrated education system. There is a social and economic imperative in ending duplication.
IEF set five targets that should be included in the Strategy / Action Plan to assist in meeting demand:
• 25% of all pupils in Northern Ireland to attend an Integrated school by 31 December 2035, as demonstrated by the identification and assessment of demand.
• A Department of Education grant to be made available to all schools wishing to become Integrated.
• A fair and rational method of measuring parental preference for school type to be agreed and implemented.
• A review of the development proposal and case for change process to be completed for Integrated schools.
• Independent review of the area planning process and consultation to be completed and recommendations made.
3. What does it cost to maintain two types of education provision, and what other areas of education could efficiency savings be spent on, for example SEN?
‘The Cost of Division in Northern Ireland’ research undertaken by Ulster University in 2023, has estimated that the total additional cost of maintaining a divided education system. One of the paper’s authors Dr Stephen Roulston, Research Fellow at UNESCO Centre, School of Education, Ulster University said, “The resulting figure can only ever be an estimate, but we have taken some care to ensure that it is not an unreasonable evaluation of the potential cost. This places the total additional cost of maintaining a divided system at £226 million each year, or over £600,000 every day of the year.”
That research paper concluded, “The price of past division, and its consequences in the present day, can be measured in financial, social and even environmental costs. Societal divisions persist and continue to cost our economy, define our confrontational politics and blight the lives of many of the people who live here. These costs can also be seen in our education system, where division, separation and duplication all add unnecessary and increasingly unaffordable costs. Consequently, funding which could be spent directly on educating children and young people is wasted.
There will be some cost to addressing difference, reforming school structures, reorganising governance of schools, preparing teachers to engage with contentious issues with their learners and investigating alternatives to our divided education system. The alternative – continued division and communal distrust and all the social and economic impacts that may engender – may well be more costly. The question is not ‘can we afford to address this?’ Instead, it should be ‘can we really afford not to?”
https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/118288754/TEUU_Report_18_ Divided_Society_Divided_Education.pdf
In 2007, Deloitte acknowledged that “parallel living and the provision of parallel services are unsustainable both morally and economically”. They also noted the additional cost of policing and security, segregated housing and education and the resulting less than efficient public service provision. However, it was conceded that calculating a financial cost of the divide is challenging, as isolating the proportion of any costs which are due to social conflict or division is difficult.
https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/issues/segregat/docs/deloitte0407.pdf
https://scopeni.nicva.org/article/time-to-count-the-cost-of-segregatededucation
In the 2021 Ulster University Transforming Education Paper ‘Same Difference? Shared Education and Integrated Education’ it was stated that Shared Education is costly and logistically complex:
“Thus significant financial investment has been required to establish and support Shared Education. Much of this funding originated from philanthropic concerns and international funders and is time bound.”
https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/en/publications/same-difference-shared-educationand-integrated-education-transfo
4. How do the costs and benefits of Integrated Education compare with those of other forms of education in NI?
The scheme used for allocating education funding in Northern Ireland is known as the Common Funding Scheme. The Scheme uses a calculation—the Common Funding Formula (CFF)—to determine funding for each school in Northern Ireland.
Integrated schools do not receive any additional government funding simply for being Integrated.
Integrated schools are not immune from experiencing sustainability challenges, however research by Ulster University has highlighted the considerable number of unsustainable schools in Northern Ireland that cater for predominately one side of the community only and are located close to another school of a different management type which may also be experiencing sustainability issues.
These ‘isolated pairs of schools’ have the potential, should the local community support it, to create a single school solution that could retain local educational provision on a cross sector/cross community basis. This is something also identified in the recent Independent Review of Education undertaken by a panel of experts chaired by Dr Keir Bloomer.
Integrated Education is premised on the knowledge that ‘contact’ between children from different communities reduces prejudicial attitudes and leads to more harmonious relations.
(Allport, G. W. (1954) The nature of prejudice. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley)
The Department of Education in 2017 published ‘Integration Works – Transforming your School’ : This guidance states that:
“Research evidence also indicates that integrated schooling has a significant and positive social influence on the lives of those who experience it. This is most notable in fostering cross-community friendships, reducing prejudicial attitudes and promoting a sense of security in religious, racial or ethnically diverse environments. At its core, integrated education is about encouraging children and young people to recognise what they share in common, as well as understanding and respecting differences. This helps them to develop a positive attitude towards others and become aware of bias. It is also increasingly shown that when we interact with people who are different from ourselves in the context of problem-solving and learning activities, we create the dynamics needed for cognitive work that can develop new capabilities.
Integrated education brings together pupils, staff and governors from Protestant, Catholic and other cultural traditions within a single school community. As children and young people prepare to live and work in a global, multicultural and pluralistic society, the benefits of educating them together are becoming increasingly recognised. As we aim to become a shared society that respects diversity, integrated education has much to offer the school system and society as a whole.”
https://www.educationni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/education/Integration%20Works %20-%20Transforming%20your%20School%20December%202017.pdf Research suggests that young people who attended Integrated schools felt more positive towards ‘outsiders’ and were more likely to endorse contact and mixing, than those who attended Controlled or Maintained schools.
(McKeown, S. (2017) ‘Integrated education in Northern Ireland: Education for peace?’ Enlarging the Scope of Peace Psychology: African and WorldRegional Contributions)
A study into the development of tolerance by pupils attending Integrated schools was undertaken in 2013. The results of a large-scale survey revealed that those pupils who attended Integrated schools were more likely to be respectful towards the culture and traditions of others.
(Hayes, B., McAllister, I. and Dowds, L. (2013) ‘Integrated Schooling and
Religious Tolerance in Northern Ireland’, Journal of Contemporary Religion)
Elsewhere, research concluded that Integrated Education holds exciting potential both for building social cohesion and for promoting forgiveness and reconciliation.
(McGlynn, C., Niens, U., Cairns, E. and Hewstone, M. (2004) ‘Moving out of conflict: the contribution of Integrated schools in Northern Ireland to identity, attitudes, forgiveness and reconciliation’, Journal of Peace Education)
In Joanne Hughes’ 2010 research ‘Are separate schools divisive?’ A case study from Northern Ireland’ she found a relationship between ethnic isolation experienced by children and negative intergroup social attitudes, and the discussion focuses on issues germane to the separateness of the school that are likely to contribute to strong ‘own’ group bias, stereotyping and prejudice.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01411926.2010.506943
in the 2018 Research entitled ‘Integrating Northern Ireland: Cross-group friendships in integrated and mixed schools’ by Blaylock, Hughes, Wolfer and Donnelly of Queen’s University, Belfast, and University of Oxford, UK compared the network-based cross-group friendships within two such school types: an integrated and a separate post-primary school. The study stated:
“These schools boast a distinct ethos yet they similarly enrol students from Catholic and Protestant backgrounds. Findings reveal that both schools show a high level of interconnection between pupils; however, the Integrated school, with an ethos that openly supports social cohesion, shows a greater tendency towards cross-group interactions and best friendships than those found within the separate school. In line with contact theory, these findings suggest that it may not be enough to simply create opportunities for intergroup contact but that optimal conditions, such as institutional support, may be a prerequisite for positive relationships to flourish.”
5. What are the potential implications of increased integrated education for pupil outcomes and society in general in Northern Ireland?
The Final Report of the Independent Review of Education in 2023 made a compelling case for societal benefits of greater Integrated Education.
“More should be done to ensure that learners from different backgrounds learn together in the classroom on a regular basis. There is significant appetite to do more to improve integration within our schools – for the benefit of the learner and society as a whole.”
https://www.independentreviewofeducation.org.uk/files/independentreviewo feducation/2023-12/Investing%20in%20a%20Better%20Future%20%20Volume%201.pdf
In the ‘Knowledge Exchange Seminar Series’ (2026 -2017) run by the Ulster University / Queen’s University and the Open University for the NI Assembly it was found that over 90% of pupils in Northern Ireland attend schools that are mono-religious/cultural/ethnic. This is highly unlikely to be the experience that these children will face in further education, higher education or the workplace. Nevertheless, of the four impact factors this is the hardest to assess – due to the projective nature of the statement. One piece of quantitative research does however point towards a strong correlation between adults who had attended an Integrated school and their tolerance towards ethnic minorities. The research suggests both that it is possible and that attending an Integrated school does have a positive impact on tolerance later in life, but that these benefits might work longitudinally rather than immediately.
http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/globalassets/documents/raise/knowledge_exc hange/briefing_papers/series6/doebler141216.pdf
The Sixth Report of the Independent Reporting Commission in 2023 on paramilitary activity also concluded:
“In May 2023, the Department of Education published its first Strategy for
Integrated Education in Northern Ireland. We recognise that people feel this Strategy should be more ambitious, but we welcome this step as, in our view, Integrated Education breaks down barriers, builds good relations amongst young people from an early age and promotes a culture of tolerance – all of which we believe play a role in tackling paramilitarism.”
6. What effect has recent legislation had on the status of integrated education?
Since the passing of the Integrated Education (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 there have been several notable advances for Integrated Education including the passing of Development Proposals for Mid Down Integrated College, Causeway Integrated College, and Sion Mills Integrated Primary School, as well as new nurseries in Rowandale Integrated PS, Drumlins Integrated PS and Enniskillen Integrated PS.
However the IEF was disappointed that the Strategy does not address many of the issues in Section 9 of the Integrated Education Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (IE Act), which spelt out a clear, section by section, breakdown of what should be in the Integrated Education Strategy.
Extract from the Integrated Education Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, Section 9, Pts 1 to 3
9.— (1) The Department of Education must prepare, publish and maintain a strategy for the encouragement, facilitation, support for and provision of integrated education (“the integrated education strategy”).
(2) The integrated education strategy must, in particular—
(a) include provision for resources (including personnel) to encourage, facilitate and support integrated education.
(b) include provision designed to facilitate the maintenance and protection of the ethos of existing and new integrated schools;
(c) include arrangements for full access for integrated schools to training and resources provided by the Education Authority and other services accessible by publicly funded schools;
(d) quantify funding commitments and identify respective resources made available for the support for and provision of integrated education (including resources for facilitating the establishment of new integrated schools, the expansion of existing integrated schools and the transformation of existing schools into integrated schools);
(e) include an action plan, which must—
(i) be prepared in consultation with persons with knowledge and experience of integrated schools including teachers, governors, pupils, families, and sectoral and community bodies;
(ii) include targets (including timetables);
(iii) include measurable benchmarks against which the success of the strategy (including progress towards meeting targets) can be assessed;
(f) include provision for reviews to provide a clear indication of how education bodies are delivering integrated education; and
(g) have due regard to the provisions of Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 in regard to subsection (1) of this section.
(3) Targets and benchmarks may, in particular, refer to—
(a) percentages of pupils granted or denied their choice of education in an integrated school;
(b) numbers of development proposals created and delivered for expansion of existing integrated schools;
(c) numbers of schools transforming into integrated schools;
(d) numbers of new integrated schools established;
(e) numbers of consultations issued in respect of transformed or new integrated schools; and
(f) support provided for ensuring the success of integrated education (including training and other resources designed to facilitate teaching within the integrated education system).
The DE have set aside just £50,000 within the Action Plan / Strategy to support the implementation of the Strategy and the resourcing will continue to be kept under review dependent upon competing demands for budgets post the Act.
The DE launched their consultation on the Integrated Education Act Action Plan on 31 August 2023 with the consultation closing on 31 October 2023. The purpose of this consultation is to gather views from all stakeholders on the Action Plan. https://consultations.nidirect.gov.uk/de/integrated-education-action-planconsultation/
The DE is seeking the views of consultees on the future direction of the Action
Plan. It is plain from the terms of the consultation document that the
Department are consulting to inform their first Report on their Strategy in April
2024. The IEF contends that the published DE Strategy – ‘A Strategy for Integrated Education in Northern Ireland’ (Appendix 4) is unlawful and should be subject to urgent revision by the Department so as to adhere to the terms of the Integrated Education Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. The IEF has raised concerns about the Strategy, Action Plan and the Consultation with the DE.
7. How does support for integrated education map on to the demography of Northern Ireland?
There is widespread support for Integrated Education throughout Northern Ireland as can be evidenced by these charts from the 2023 LucidTalk Survey.
LucidTalk NI Attitudinal Survey 2023 – breakdown into Council areas
A map showing the distribution of Integrated schools is available here:
https://www.ief.org.uk/integrated-education/how-to-access-an-integratededucation/which-schools-are-already-integrated/
Conclusion
Northern Ireland has come a long way in the last 25 years but has much work still to do, not least in ending segregation. It is a society still coming to terms with the past while people live segregated lives.
Whether it is taking down peace barriers, reducing the proportion of people living in segregated housing or increasing the number of young people attending Integrated schools, ending segregation is the big challenge of the next 25 years for the peace process.
Simultaneous progress on all these causes and indicators of division is not just important for, but is critical to, the success of the peace process.
We hope the Committee reflects on what we believe is the ambition of a vast majority of people in Northern Ireland to put the needs of students, learners and wider society first, in recommending bold targets to facilitate more children and young people learning and developing together in the same classrooms.
January 2024
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