A poll has revealed that over 50% of the people in the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon (ABC) Council area believe that integrated education should be the norm.
Results from LucidTalk’s NI-wide attitudinal poll have revealed that 52% of people living in the ABC council area believe integrated schools – which intentionally educate together children every day in the same classrooms, inclusive of different religions and backgrounds – should be the main model for our education system.
Polling was carried out by Belfast based independent polling and market research company LucidTalk, on behalf of the Integrated Education Fund (IEF).
Over 1,900 responses were collated, and the poll was balanced by gender, age-group, area of residence, and community background, to ensure it was demographically representative of Northern Ireland today.
A key finding of the poll is that 65% of respondents said they would support cross sectoral mergers and amalgamation of schools. Further questions asked focused on the current financial crisis facing both schools and education support bodies.
The idea of amalgamating schools on a cross-community basis was the most popular action the government could take according to the survey.
To date there has only been one cross sectoral amalgamation of schools following Ministerial approval to establish Causeway Academy from September 2026, a new Controlled Integrated College incorporating pupils from Dunluce School, Coleraine College and North Coast Integrated College.
Other research suggests that around 300 schools in Northern Ireland have enrolment figures which fall below the Department of Education’s threshold for sustainability and with this in mind researchers from Ulster University have designed a ‘Future Schools Toolkit’ supporting communities who wish to explore whether there might be a more sustainable approach to school provision in their local area at primary and post-primary level.
Paul Caskey OBE, Chief Executive of the IEF, commented on the results: “The result of this poll highlights that the high level of support for Integrated Education from the people of Northern Ireland remains steadfast and strong.
“Despite these findings, many areas remain with limited or no Integrated options available to children or parents. The IEF and its supporters will continue to support all efforts to increase Integrated Education provision in response to the growing demand.
“The IEF would contend more Integrated schools, together with other innovative cross sectoral solutions, could potentially bring significant societal, educational and financial benefits over time. The IEF and its supporters will continue to support all efforts to increase Integrated Education provision in response to the growing demand.”
