A judge has caught the education minister “bang to rights” for failing to support integrated education in Northern Ireland, according to NI Conservatives’ co-chair, Trevor Ringland.
“For a long time we’ve been saying that John O’Dowd has ignored parents and legal requirements, by refusing to respond to the increasing demand for bigger integrated schools and more integrated schools”, Trevor commented. “Now Mr Justice Treacy has confirmed that argument in the High Court, finding that the minister is disregarding his duty to ‘facilitate and encourage’ integrated education. Drumragh Integrated College, which is at the centre of the case, is bursting at the seams, because it offers an excellent standard of education and parents want their children to be taught in a shared environment.”
“That situation is replicated right across Northern Ireland, yet John O’Dowd has consistently applied policies on expanding schools which preserve segregation and hold back successful integrated schools. It was always clear that his approach was morally wrong and now we know that it was also legally wrong. Parents and pupils are miles ahead of the executive and politicians on this issue. The demand for shared schools is hugely positive for our society and it is good news that the courts have indicated they will now hold the minister to his legal duties. John O’Dowd’s tenure as education minister has been an absolute disaster and, if he refuses to do so willingly, he must be forced to call off his efforts to stop our children from learning together.”