Integrated education in Northern Ireland refers to the bringing together of children, parents and teachers from both Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions in childhood education: the aim being to provide a balanced education, while allowing the opportunity to understand and respect all cultural and religious backgrounds.
History
In 2017 the Northern Ireland government commissioned a report to detail the development of Integrated Education, so as to decide on structures and processes to support the effective planning, growth and development of a more integrated education system, with a framework of viable and sustainable schools.
Since 1974 the All Children Together (ACT) movement had been lobbying against the segregation in schools in Northern Ireland. The Education (Northern Ireland) Act, 1978 (Dunleath Act) contained a provision that allowed existing schools to transform to integrated status, but none succeeded. Consequently, a group of parents founded Lagan College, a new type of non-sectarian school in September 1981.
By 1987, there were seven newly established integrated schools, and Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) was formed as a charitable organisation to co-ordinate efforts to develop integrated education, and to support parent groups through the process of opening new schools.
The Education Reform (NI) Order 1989 provided a statutory framework for the development of integrated schools. Article 64 of the Order defines integrated education as ‘the education together at school of Protestant and Roman Catholic pupils’. It states that it ‘shall be the duty of the Department to encourage and facilitate the development of integrated education’. Part VI and Schedules 5 and 6 of the Order define the arrangements for the establishment, management and governance of two types of integrated school: grant maintained integrated schools and controlled integrated schools.
It was at this point that Department of Education began to grant-aid schools with revenue funding.
The Integrated Education Bill 2022
The Northern Ireland Assembly passed legislation in March 2022 which ensures a duty on the Department of Education to provide further support to the integrated schools sector. The Bill was passed by 49 votes to 38.
Supported Bill: Alliance, Sinn Fein, SDLP, Green Party, People Before Profit
Did not support Bill: DUP, UUP
Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education
The Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE), a voluntary organisation, promotes, develops and supports integrated education in Northern Ireland.
NICIE’s Statement of Principles go beyond just the education of Protestant and Catholic children in a single building. NICIE aims to create a shared ethos and environment that welcomes and that celebrates all traditions. Schools should have a mixed staff, board of governors and pupils. It celebrates inclusion and fosters creativity in schools. It fosters "an environment where governors, staff, parents – and, in age-appropriate ways, pupils – can engage with social, political and religious debates explicitly and in a sharing and inclusive way."
The four key elements of NICIE’s Statement of Principles are: Equality and diversity A child-centred education A partnership with parents A Christian ethos
Educational background
Education in Northern Ireland is highly religiously segregated, with 95% of pupils attending either a maintained (Catholic) school or a controlled school (mostly Protestant, but open to all faiths and none), both funded by the state by varying amounts. In addition there is pressure to open more Irish medium schools. Around 2007 there was surplus of places in existing schools. The churches in Northern Ireland have not been involved in the development of integrated schools. Integrated schools have been established by the voluntary efforts of parents.
Current situation
The first integrated school, Lagan College, was established in Belfast in 1981, in 1985, three more integrated schools opened in Belfast. , there were 65 integrated schools comprising 20 post-primary colleges and 45 primary schools. 27 are Controlled Integrated. Existing controlled schools voted to ‘transform’ and 38 are Grant-Maintained Integrated, new schools, created by the local parents, the last of which, Rowandale Integrated Primary School in Moira, County Down, was established in 2008. In addition, there are 19 integrated nursery schools, most of which are linked to primary schools as at Rowandale.
In March 2022, the Integrated Education Bill was passed.