Statement 2 September 2026
Integrated AlumNI is profoundly disappointed by the decision by the Education Minister to reject transformation proposals for several schools across Northern Ireland.
This setback arrives on a poignant threshold for Northern Ireland’s education system: on the 45th anniversary of Lagan College opening its doors in 1981, when the first cohort of children stepped forward to learn together under one roof.
Turning down the aspirations of dedicated school communities sends a deeply discouraging message to parents, staff, and pupils who have voted overwhelmingly to embrace an integrated ethos.
Decades of academic research demonstrate the impacts of integrated schooling, indicating that pupils who attend integrated schools are more likely to form long-term cross-community friendships, hold reduced intergroup bias, and support shared housing and workplaces in adulthood.
Refusing transformation proposals based on demographic formulas ignores how integration works. Formal designation gives parents from minority backgrounds the confidence to choose a school. Rejecting these applications before they are given the chance to grow actively hinders the growth of the sector and undermines the statutory duty to encourage, facilitate and support integrated education.
With regard to the transformation discussion, AlumNI maintains:
Transformation is a Catalyst, Not a Finish Line: Formal transformation is the start of a journey, not the end. Expecting a school to balance its intake figures while operating under its legacy model creates a Catch-22 that unfairly penalises schools seeking to begin their integrated journey.
A Modern Vision of Diversity: Integrated education brings together young people from Catholic, Protestant, and all other religious, cultural, and non-religious backgrounds. Judging success purely through binary intake metrics overlooks the complex, diverse reality of Northern Ireland's families today.
Integrated AlumNI will continue to campaign and advocate for integrated education and share experiences and stories of how integrated education has benefited so many people’s lives.