The Alliance Integrated Education spokesperson was speaking after the release of the latest Good Relations Indicator report by the Executive Office. Among other findings, it showed the number of children unable to access their first preference choice of an integrated school has risen from 20 per cent to 24 per cent.

Ms Armstrong said integrated education was being denied to many who didn’t have an integrated school in their area, with those schools which did exist being largely oversubscribed.

“The Integrated Education Act, brought by Alliance in the previous Assembly mandate, confirms in law the requirement for the Department of Education to ensure they identify and plan to meet demand for integrated education,” she said.

“Today’s report makes clear the current system is still failing to provide parental choice for people who want an integrated education for their children. Delays to development proposals such as the new Mid Down Integrated College compound that.

“There is no reason for the Department to sit on these proposals and deny provision of integrated education to a growing number of people who want their children to be educated together in an integrated school. 

“The Department is due to publish its Integrated Education Strategy next month. It must define how it will identify actions to demonstrate demand for integrated education, and how they will deliver parental choice for it.”