Trevor Lunn MLA said: “I was very pleased that the Education Committee agreed to my proposal that we should hold an inquiry into integrated and shared education.
“I hope that this inquiry will provide some useful suggestions on how the two systems can co-exist.
“The Committee heard a presentation on shared education from Ballycastle High School and Cross and Passion College, and certainly the collaboration has been extremely successful and beneficial to the pupils of both schools.
“I have criticised the Education Minister for his failure to meet his Department’s legal duty to facilitate and encourage the growth of integrated education. By hearing evidence from different groups, I hope that we provide a comprehensive body of evidence for the Minister to consider. We know that there is growing demand for integrated education, but that demand is not being met by a supply of integrated schools.
“I am also looking forward to hearing about shared education projects that are taking place throughout Northern Ireland. Many of these are organised on an ad hoc basis, but I hope the Minister will look to provide more support to such initiatives.”
ENDS