THE Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) has reacted strongly to Maria Eagle's decision this week to refuse funding for a new integrated primary school in Strabane.
Speaking on behalf of the parent group, Chairperson Claire Ellis said, "I am very disappointed with this decision, not merely for the steering group, who have put a lot of hard work and effort, with the support of NICIE, into getting this proposal submitted, but for the many parents in the area who have supported us and would clearly like to have the choice of sending their child or children to an integrated school. This is not the end of the road for the Strabane Steering group. We will continue to fight for an integrated choice in our area."
NICIE commends those parents in Strabane who have worked tirelessly to promote an integrated choice in an area where that choice does not exist. Despite numerous attempts to engage with other educational partners, including the local schools, in order to deliver a real choice for sharing in education, no options were made available.
Chief Executive Officer of NICIE, Michael Wardlow explained that in his view, not only does the decision stand in stark contrast to central government's own commitment to sharing and contradict the Department of Educations' duty to "encourage and facilitate integrated education" but it also fails to measure up to the central recommendations of Sir George Bain's review of education. He said, "We recognise that some schools in the area have traditionally drawn pupils from both traditions, but integrated schools offer substantially more than student contact. We would have been delighted had either Sion Mills or Strabane primary school been willing to consider transformation as an option, but in the absence of any such desire, the only route open to the parents was to develop a new school. The drive for integration in Strabane will not go away and we will be meeting with the group at the earliest opportunity to see what can be done to ensure this choice is delivered."
