An Integrated Education Roadshow will be in the Erneside Shopping Centre, Enniskillen this Saturday, 10th November, from 10.00am–6.00pm

The Roadshow aims to inform the public about integrated education and promote the positive benefits of educating children in integrated schools, where Catholic and Protestant children, along with other faiths and none are educated together.

Deborah Girvan, its Communications Manager, reported that representatives from the Northern Ireland Council of Integrated Education (NICIE) and the Integrated Education Fund (IEF) will be setting up a stand in shopping centres and libraries up and down the country over the next six months.

"We want to give parents the opportunity to ask questions about Integrated Education, explain how integrated schools differ from the other sectors, and also promote the integrated schools that are located in the area."

Integrated schools are a popular choice for many parents and their children. Over the past 26 years, integrated schools have mushroomed all over Northern Ireland. The first integrated school, Lagan College, opened in a scout hut with 28 pupils in 1981 and, today there are 62 integrated schools providing education over 19,000 children.

"The success and growth of integrated schools," explained Ms Girvan, "can be attributed to the parents of Northern Ireland who did not want their children to be educated in separate schools. Integrated Education is totally parent led and parent driven.

"It is parents who have campaigned for a new school on a greenfield site in their area or taken parental ballots to transform their local school to integrated status.

"In many ways, the Integrated Education Roadshow will pay tribute to thousands of parents who, by choosing an integrated school for their children, are helping to build understanding, respect and trust between communities which, in turn contributes to the peace and reconciliation process in Northern Ireland."