One in four NI parents prefer non-integrated schools, survey finds

Almost a quarter of parents in Northern Ireland would prefer their child not to attend an integrated school, according to a survey by the Department of Education.

The research found that 24% of parents favoured a non-integrated school, compared with 31.2% who preferred an integrated school and 37.3% who said they did not mind. The remaining respondents either did not know or preferred not to say.

The survey, which gathered views on attitudes to integrated education, was issued by the Education Authority in Northern Ireland to parents and guardians whose children were going through the school admissions process. Almost half of respondents – about 46% – were making choices for post-primary schools.

When asked about the most important factor in selecting their first-choice school, parents who chose an integrated school most commonly cited “quality of education” (32.5%), followed by “proximity to home” (14.6%) and “wanting an integrated education” (12.9%).

Among those who chose a non-integrated school, 39.6% said “quality of education” was most important, with 15.8% citing “proximity to home” and 14.1% naming “family or friends at school”.

Most parents who selected an integrated school as their first preference – about 85.3% – said it was “important” or “very important” that their child attend an integrated school.

Meanwhile, parents who chose a non-integrated school were also asked if they would want their chosen school to transform into an integrated school. In response, 37.5% said they “don’t mind”, 37% said “no” and 16.9% said “yes”. The rest did not know or preferred not to say.

The survey follows the passing of the Integrated Education Act in 2022 by the Northern Ireland Assembly. The act, brought as a private member’s bill by Alliance Party assembly member Kellie Armstrong, requires the Department of Education to facilitate and support integrated education and to measure demand for it.