Integrated schools can best be described as the bringing together in one school of pupils, staff and governors, in roughly equal numbers, from all religions and none (in the context of Northern Ireland, the bringing together of both Protestant and Catholic traditions is especially relevant to the process of peace and reconciliation). In integrated schools, one religious or cultural group is not valued over another. All are equally valued and celebrated. Integration is also about inclusion of children of all abilities and all socio-economic backgrounds. It is about cultivating the individual’s self-respect and therefore respect for other people and other cultures. Integrated education means bringing children up to live as adults in a pluralist society, recognising what they hold in common as well as what separates them, and accepting both. Over the years integrated education has attracted its fair share of both supporters and detractors and the growth of the integrated sector has not been without opposition. Opinion polls however continue to show widespread support for the concept of integrated education and this is demonstrated by the increasing number of parents all over Northern Ireland who seek integrated education for their children.
