Education Minister Paul Givan has welcomed today’s judgment of the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland, which upheld last October’s High Court decision to dismiss challenges against his decisions not to approve the transformation of Rathmore Primary School and Bangor Academy and Sixth Form College to integrated status.
Paul Givan said: “I welcome today’s decision from the Court of Appeal, which provides important clarity on the statutory framework governing the development of integrated education.
“The Court’s judgment has reaffirmed the legal duties placed on the Department when considering proposals for school transformations. In particular, it confirms that the requirement to demonstrate that a school is likely to achieve ‘reasonable numbers’ of both Protestant and Catholic pupils is a central and binding element of the legislation and one which must be supported by clear and credible evidence.
“It is also clear that, while there is a strong statutory duty to encourage and facilitate integrated education, this does not override the obligation to apply the criteria set out in legislation. Decisions must be taken in line with the law as it stands.”
The Minister concluded: “Today’s judgment confirms the integrity of my decision-making process in these cases and underlines the importance of realistic planning, robust evidence and demonstrable cross-community demand when bringing forward transformation proposals.”
