Education Minister refuses to let schools become integrated, defying 80% parent support
Minister for Education of Northern Ireland Paul Givan | NI Assembly TV Northern Ireland Humanists has expressed deep concern over a decision by Education Minister Paul Givan to reject two North Down schools’ plans to become integrated, ignoring a sizeable majority of parents voting in favour of the proposals. A ballot of parents of children attending Bangor Academy and Sixth Form College found that around 80% supported the proposal to transform to integrated status. A similar ballot held by Rathmore Primary School saw 82% of parents in favour. ‘Transformation’ refers to the legal process where an existing state school – either a ‘maintained’ school (Catholic) or a ‘controlled’ school (de facto Protestant) – changes its status to become an integrated school, following a clear parental wish to do so. Integrated schools bring together children from different backgrounds – Protestant, Catholic, and those of other faiths and beliefs – to learn side by side in a single, inclusive environment. Northern Ireland Humanists has long advocated a single system of education, and campaigns for a fully inclusive …