March 2024 Newsletter
In this newsletter we offer a roundup of Integrated Education in the news, our report from the NI Affairs Committee Inquiry, our Belfast Expose event, and more.
Key Stories in Integrated Education.
'NI School Let Down', says DUP Minister: The UK government withdrew £150m in funding for ten Shared and Integrated School building projects in Northern Ireland. Education Minister, Paul Givan, said schools have been "let down" by this decision and is seeking extra funding. The funds were reallocated as part of the UK's £3.3bn financial package for restoring Stormont's power-sharing Executive.
Sinn Féin Welcomes Integrated Education: Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan has welcomed the cross-party support shown in the Assembly for Shared and Integrated Education, while criticising the British Government's recent decision to withdraw funding for new shared and integrated education buildings as "outrageous."
The Government has "undermined" its Integrated Education commitment: The affected schools, previously identified for funding through the Fresh Start Agreement, are now part of the broader capital programme and must compete for funding alongside other projects.
What have AlumNI been up to?
Integrated Movement at the NI Affairs Committee recap
The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee recently held an oral evidence session examining the state of Integrated Education in Northern Ireland.
Three Key Takeaways from our evidence session:
Despite slow growth, integrated schools only represent around 7% of all schools in Northern Ireland, even though parental demand for Integrated Education exceeds the current supply.
Transforming existing schools to integrated status remains challenging due to cumbersome processes and insufficient resources, requiring more streamlined mechanisms and dedicated funding.
Integrated Education, which brings children together full-time, differs from Shared Education initiatives, and has the potential to promote equality, diversity, and reconciliation.
Next Steps: After collecting all the evidence, the NI Affairs Committee will publish a report based on the enquiry's findings.
Integrated AlumNI and IEF host an event at the Belfast Imagine Festival!
On Wednesday, March 20th 2024, Integrated AlumNI and The Integrated Education Fund (IEF) hosted an engaging panel discussion in Belfast to explore the current state of Integrated Education in Northern Ireland as part of Imagine Belfast 2024.
Three Key Takeaways from the event:
Parental demand for Integrated Education is high, with two-thirds of people in Northern Ireland supporting it as the main education model. However, only 8% of children currently attend Integrated Schools.
The transformation process for schools to gain Integrated Status remains complex and lengthy, requiring strong commitment from school leadership and governance.
While the Integrated Education movement has made significant progress in recent years, the pace of change still feels slow compared to the scale of segregation that persists over 26 years after the Good Friday Agreement.
