REVEALED: Just over 5% of primary school children attend integrated schools
Figures obtained by Downtown/Cool FM show the low levels of school aged children attending integrated schooling.
The low levels of pupils attending integrated schooling in Northern Ireland have been revealed in figures obtained by Downtown/Cool FM.
The lowest level is in primary schools - with only 5.9% of pupils attending integrated schooling.
That figure has increased from previous years - but only by 0.2 percent over the past two years.
There's a total of 183,453 primary school aged pupils, and of that, only 10,894 attend schools that are legally classed integrated.
Below you can see the break down for your constituency:
Now the percentage of post-primary pupils attending integrated schooling did increase to 8.7%.
Integrated Education brings children and staff from Catholic and Protestant traditions, as well as those of other faiths, or none, together in one school.
For the past 30 years, in a deeply divided society, Integrated schools have been an alternative to an educational system in which most children attend largely religiously separated schools.
The Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) aims to improve and promote integrated schooling.
Their Chief Executive Roisin Marshall said:
"Since the opening of the first integrated school in 1981 it has been the belief of those involved in the integrated movement that Integrated Education can make an outstanding contribution, in terms of peace and reconciliation, for the benefit of everyone in NI.
"Whilst the number of pupils attending integrated schools has doubled in the 20 years since the Belfast Agreement, many schools continue to be over-subscribed and therefore there is still great potential for increasing the places for young people.
"The growth to date has come from the commitment of parents, governors and teachers to educating Catholic and Protestant children together with children from other religions, cultures and communities in the same school, all day, every day, to build reconciliation.”
Roisin also told us that the feedback from parents is that they would want to educate their children in an integrated school.
She added:
"The good news is that any school, except hospital schools and special schools can become integrated via a legal process called Transformation.
"What we want to let parents know is that it's a simple and easy process - all they need to do it go online and register their interest in their child's school becoming integrated."
Parents can register their interest for integrated provision in their area by logging on to www.integratemyschool.com.
One school which transformed into an Integrated school in 2015 was Mallusk Primary School.
Principal Susanne Kinsella said the move has seen a dramatic rise in the number of pupils attending the school.
She also said it's vital to teach children about different religions and diversity:
"It's a chance for the pupils to see that there is lots of different people in the world and different ways of living your life, but we are all equal.
"There's just an atmosphere of acceptance and respect right throughout the school. And the friends they make in school carry on throughout their childhood. To be introduced to eachother within the school environment is just the start.
Mrs Kinsella said while the rewards were massive - it was a challenging transition:
"The integrated ethos is very specific and it is woven through everything you do - from arts to maths to making sure you are reflecting the cultural background of everyone in your community.
"And even down to the makeup of your staff and your board of governors, making sure they reflect and represent everyone in the school".
But, as these pupils told us, it seems all the hard work was well worth it -