Looking back at our campaigning for the Integrated Education Bill
Having worked with countless individuals and wonderful partners to support the passing of the Integrated Education Bill, we reflect on our campaign activities and successes.
Campaigning
Kellie Armstrong MLA's Integrated Education Bill brought the debate around the future of education in Northern Ireland to the fore. Integrated AlumNI encouraged its membership to share their experiences as past pupils, founder pupils, and supporters of education with MLAs during the various stages of the Bill.
Our membership grew during this period with lots of past pupils showing their support in campaigning work, when they hadn't previously engaged.
As well as campaigning from within Northern Ireland, we also had supporters of Integrated education emailing from Scotland, England, France and the US.
Working with our integrated schools
As past pupils, AlumNI members were encouraged to reach out to their former schools and encourage their headteachers to publicly support the Bill. We saw tweets from Slemish and New-Bridge, and Hazelwood pupils staged a protest on the steps of Stormont. Lagan College also loudly backed the Bill in an article on the BBC. From our conversations with school principals and other educators, we know that email templates have been shared with staff, parent bodies and boards of governors at different stages of the Bill’s journey.
Hazelwood pupils protesting at Stormont about the threat to the Integrated Education Bill
The Uplift petition
The Uplift petition calling on Doug Beattie MLA not to support the DUP’s petition of concern received over 570 signatures - meaning over 570 emails! - and kept Twitter busy in the run-up to the hearing.
In the days leading up to the final stage of the Bill, The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon also sent a message of support:
I have long been a supporter of integrated education in Northern Ireland. Even as a boy I found it bizarre that everyone would beg for peace and understanding between the communities while never questioning the Protestant / Catholic segregation in our education system.
So I’m delighted to voice my support for Kellie Armstrong’s Integrated Education Bill which is about to be debated in Stormont. For a minority of MLAs to veto the bill would be a tragedy and profoundly undemocratic. Do not listen to the vested interests who claim to oppose the bill only on technical grounds. Support the bill and help Northern Ireland progress to a brighter, more peaceful future.
Impact
The Bill was passed! Kellie Armstrong MLA, sponsor of the Integrated Education Bill, sent several emails of thanks for the support of the AlumNI, in particular the work done to dispel the misinformation being shared. The AlumNI group welcomed Kellie to thank her directly at our hybrid celebration on the evening of the Bill being passed.
