Sir, – Ours is still a very divided society in Northern Ireland, with many people living in separate areas and going to segregated schools.
Many parents have voted overwhelmingly for their schools to transform to integrated status but their wishes have been thwarted.
The NI Department of Education has a duty to encourage and facilitate integrated education. The oversubscription of post-primary integrated schools should be addressed by encouraging and facilitating transformation, but the NI Minister for Education has refused applications for transformation. There are increasing numbers of newcomers in our society, often doing work that local people are unwilling to do. They must find it strange that local children cannot be educated together.
More and more people would choose to be classified as “Other”, rather than Catholic or Protestant.
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I know of many parents and children who would like to apply to an integrated school, but hesitate because they know their school of choice would be oversubscribed.
Transformation is a gradual process, and once a school is allowed to have integrated status, the enrolments will be more diverse. – Yours, etc,
MARGARET MARSHALL,
Belfast.
