Integrated education: Lack of post-primary places ‘frustrating’

That is the case in the council areas of Belfast, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Ards and North Down, Antrim and Newtownabbey, Mid and East Antrim, and Newry and Mourne.

But the DE report said that there was not “sufficient evidence” in those areas “to support the creation of integrated education provision by way of a new school.”

However it also said that schools like Hazelwood College, Lagan College, Strangford College, Parkhall Integrated College, Ulidia Integrated College, Slemish College, and Shimna Integrated College in those areas were over-subscribed.

The department, though, concluded that there were a “broadly sufficient” number of integrated primary schools in Northern Ireland.

“Our analysis of over subscription data suggests that while there is broadly sufficient provision of integrated education at the primary school level to meet parental preference, the same cannot be said for post-primary provision,” the report said.

The DE report stated that while surveys suggested around two-thirds of people in Northern Ireland said they were “open to considering integrated education” that did not always lead to parents applying to send their children to integrated schools.

The demand for integrated education has been discussed by MLAs on Stormont’s Education Committee.