Over half of NI adults prefer Integrated Education, but only 8% of places meet demand

Ulidia Integrated College students 

Call for urgent action as parental preference vastly outpaces provision

New data has revealed a substantial shortfall in Northern Ireland’s Integrated Education provision, with significantly more parents expressing a desire for Integrated schooling than the current education system can accommodate.

Under the Integrated Education Act (2022), passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly, it is now a legal requirement to measure demand for Integrated Education.

The aim of the legislation is to ensure the Department of Education and Education Authority reflect parental preference in school provision.

Two recent surveys – one conducted by the Department of Education and the other by the Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey – highlight the depth of unmet demand.

55% of adults would prefer Integrated Education

Mallusk Integrated Primary School pupils and teacher

The Life and Times Survey, carried out between September and November 2024 by ARK, a social policy research hub based at Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University, polled 1,199 adults.

The findings were stark:

“If you were deciding where to send your child/children to school, would you prefer an Integrated school?” – 55% of respondents answered ‘Yes’.

This result contrasts sharply with current educational provision, where only 8% of school places are in Integrated schools.

Parents who do not currently have children attending Integrated schools cited a lack of nearby provision and oversubscription as key barriers.

• 66% said there was no Integrated primary school nearby.

• 8% said there was “no point applying” due to oversubscription.

• 5% said they applied but did not get a place.

Similar issues were raised regarding post-primary schools.

Department of Education survey – findings and concerns

A separate survey by the Department of Education, the Parental School Admissions Survey, found that 31% of parents would prefer their child to attend an Integrated school. However, just 24% expressed a preference for a non-Integrated school, despite 92% of school places being in that category.

The survey was issued to over 63,000 parents via the Education Authority’s Admissions Portal, with just under 10,000 responses. However, its reliability has come under scrutiny.

The Department admitted that policy officials shared the survey link with several sectoral bodies and asked them to encourage participation—excluding the Council for Integrated Education. This omission, along with the possibility that people outside the intended recipient group may have responded, has raised questions about the survey’s robustness.

Integrated Education Fund: “There is a lot to do”

Paul Caskey, Chief Executive of the Integrated Education Fund (IEF), welcomed all efforts to measure demand, but pointed out the clear gap between policy and parental preference.

“The IEF welcomes any attempt to fairly and accurately measure demand for Integrated Education. Regardless of the methodology of each survey, one thing is clear, there is unmet demand. Whether you want to talk about 31% or 55%, there is a significant gap between the 8% currently available.”

“A gap between supply and demand that has been apparent for decades, yet there has been no requirement for government to act. Following the passing of the Integrated Education Act (2022) NI, thankfully that is no longer the case.”

He continued:

“According to the Department’s own survey this would mean an increase in Integrated provision by almost 300%. In short, there is a lot to do if our education system wishes to reflect parental preference.

“There is a clear need for a meaningful action to support the growth of Integrated Education, otherwise too many parents will be denied the choice of an Integrated Education for their child.”