The Ulster Unionist Party has voiced its support for a process of integrating education in Northern Ireland.  In an Assembly debate, education spokesperson Danny Kinahan MLA criticised an Alliance Party motion for being ‘divisive’, and only interested in sponsoring the integrated ‘sector’- rather than the wider process of shared education, and increasing cross community schooling. 

Danny Kinahan MLA said:

“I have often thought that the Alliance Party’s approach to integrated education is much too narrow.  Their attitude in the Assembly debate proved that they are obsessed by the notion of giving preferential treatment to the integrated sector- rather than promoting greater sharing and increased integration in its wider sense.  I feel that this policy is actually counterproductive and divisive.  It does not necessarily help achieve the goal which we all should be aiming for- increasing the number of pupils from Protestant, Catholic and other backgrounds learning together in the same classrooms.  The example I gave in the Assembly shows that there is more than one way to break down segregation in our education system, and pitting one sector against another is not the proper way to go.” 

Speaking in the Assembly debate, Mr Kinahan described how state controlled schools can be exemplars of integrated education- without being officially designated as such:

 “I had a call from a primary school on Friday that is thriving and which has a good number of applications; it is in an area where there is no pressure on school places. The school has been judged very good by inspectors in its achievement and standards, quality of provision and leadership and management. It has an exemplary ethos and demonstrates all the very best values that there can be among pupils. It works incredibly hard and successfully with, and as part of, the local community. Despite its being in the controlled sector, one-third of its pupils are listed as non-Protestant. It has a very broad spread from the ethnic community and all socioeconomic groups. All in all, this school sets the very best of examples as being as non-sectarian as possible. In fact, this really is an integrated school in every way. That is what shared education should be about and should be achieving, and here we have a school that achieves it already. 

“…Shared education is really the only way forward. Last year, the 'Advancing Shared Education' report gave us, in its first 15 recommendations, a very sensible and considered way forward, with a statutory body and a suite of other well-considered proposals… designed to help us achieve more sharing in our education system and, as such, to help us drive towards a shared society.”