Stormont’s Education Minister Paul Givan has insisted that he followed the law when making a decision to refuse applications from two Co Down schools for integrated status.
During a stormy debate at the Northern Ireland Assembly, the minister’s decision was attacked by a series of Alliance Party MLAs, while opposition leader Matthew O’Toole said he appeared to have a “vendetta” against integrated education.
Mr Givan responded by insisting he would be a minister for all education sectors in Northern Ireland, while also accusing an Alliance representative of making “outrageous” comments in the media following his decision.
MLAs at Stormont debated the Education Minister’s decision (Liam McBurney/PA)
The two schools, Bangor Academy and Rathmore Primary School, had applied for controlled integrated status from September 2025 but were both turned down in decisions made on January 7, despite a majority of parents who had responded to a ballot being in favour of the change.
The Education Minister answered an urgent question on the issue on Monday about how his decision is in line with his duty to support the integrated sector.
He told MLAs he was working within a “very clear legal framework”.
The minister said: “Integrated education is defined within the law.
“I am under a legal duty to encourage, facilitate and support the development of integrated education and I take this duty extremely seriously.
“However, I am prohibited legally from approving the transformation of a school becoming an integrated school unless it is likely that the school can provide integrated education.”
Mr Givan said the Integrated Education Act stated that there had to be “reasonable numbers of both Protestant and Catholic children” for a school to move into that sector.
He added: “The report to me from departmental officials concluded that 3% of Catholic children did not satisfy reasonable numbers at present.
“However, I did not just consider this current religious balance, but also whether it was likely the schools could achieve reasonable numbers from the minority community at some point in the future, after transformation.
“Given the community breakdown in the area and the availability of other well-regarded options for Catholic children… I was unable to conclude this was likely.
“I did not vote for the 2022 Act which confirmed the requirement of reasonable numbers of Protestant and Roman Catholic children, but I am obliged to obey it.”
Mr Givan accused the Alliance Party of promoting one particular educational sector to the point of “denigrating” others.
He said: “As a minister for education I have sought to support all of our sectors and the decision-making processes I have followed I think is evidence of that.”
Matthew O’Toole accused the minister of making a decision for political reasons (Mark Marlow/PA)
Mr O’Toole said everything the minister had said made it clear his decision had been taken for “political reasons”.
He said: “You have outlined what appears to be a vendetta against integrated education.
“Can I ask given that your party says it promotes in all other areas parental choice in education, when it is selection, RSE, but on this specific occasion parents have literally chosen to begin the journey of integration and you have said no.
“Given that you have decided reasonable means you are going to block these two schools from becoming integrated, what is your view on what a reasonable number is so parents who want to begin the journey can understand?”
Mr Givan said Mr O’Toole had demonstrated “his agenda” through his comments.
He added: “Going into even more detail with the member’s question only gives credibility to a question which doesn’t have any credibility.”
Alliance Party MLA Eoin Tennyson said the minister had ignored the advice of his own officials (Liam McBurney/PA)
Alliance Party MLA Eoin Tennyson said: “Given now you have ignored the advice of your own officials to block two schools transforming to integrated status, do you accept your credibility on sharing and inclusion is shot?
“Will you apologise to those parents and pupils of the schools affected for letting them down and prioritising ideology over their wish to be educated together?”
Mr Givan said he did not believe the way some members were framing their responses to his decision was helpful.
He said: “There are legitimate questions people will want to ask about these specific two schools and I have outlined the decision-making process that I followed.
“I think I have also demonstrated that I have been a minister who has approved schools wanting to transform to integrated status, that I have supported those from the Irish medium, Catholic maintained and controlled sectors and I will continue to provide that support.”
Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong, who brought forward the Integrated Education Act as a private member’s Bill, said she was “disappointed” at the minister’s “misreading” of the Act.
Mr Givan responded: “The member has frankly said some outrageous things on the media, outrageous things when it comes to these particular issues.
“She should retract many of her comments. I would advise her to do so, but if she doesn’t that is a matter for her.
“But some of the approaches she has taken and the language she has used towards people and other schools, frankly, is outrageous.”
He added: “The member who brought the legislation, she really should have understood what she was bringing in when she included in her legislation for a reasonable number of Protestants and Catholics.
“It was the member who brought in a headcount approach, not me. The Alliance Party brought it in.”