Integrated schools defended by Alliance after Sinn Féin criticism

Lagan College - an integrated school - is a former winner of the GAA's JJ Reilly Cup

An Alliance Party MLA has said she is at a loss to understand a claim by Sinn Féin's John O'Dowd that many integrated schools promote a British identity.

At Stormont this week former education minister Mr O'Dowd said there was little provision in the sector for the Irish language or Gaelic games.

"You can pay homage to the Crown but to no-one else," he told the assembly.

Kellie Armstrong of the Alliance Party said she had never seen that in any integrated school she had visited.

"In the integrated schools that I go into, I see a culture that is reflective of everyone who attends there and is respectful of all cultures," she said.

In terms of promoting the Irish language and Gaelic games, Ms Armstrong, her party's integrated schools spokesperson, said: "Integrated schools already do this.

"I'm somewhat at a loss given the fact that Lagan College and Drumragh Integrated College have both been former winners of the JJ Reilly Cup.

Kellie Armstrong says all cultures are respected through integrated education

"My own daughter played hurling for her integrated college."

She added: "Irish culture is not eroded, neither is British culture.

"Integrated education isn't about assimilating young people into one culture - it's about celebrating all cultures."

Mr O'Dowd made his comments during the second stage debate of the Integrated Education Bill, which had been proposed by Ms Armstrong.

He said that while integrated education sector promoted inclusivity "there's only one or very few play Gaelic games".

"There's none promote the Irish language. I will correct myself: I think that there is one.

"The identity in it is not neutral - in many of them it is British."

'Promote all identities'

The proposed legislation would set minimum targets for the number of children being educated in integrated schools, as well as providing dedicated funding for the sector.

About 7% of pupils in Northern Ireland go to a formally integrated school.

Mr O'Dowd said he supported the principle of the bill but challenged the integrated sector to "get its head around" how it promotes "all identities".

John O'Dowd says the British identity is promoted in integrated schools

"The reason why we have such a separated education system dating back to the 1920s - and I am no defender of the Catholic hierarchy - is because the Catholic Church took a very strong view of this," he told committee members.

"That to keep Irish identity, Irish culture alive in a partitioned state, it would have to have its own education system."

In 2017, a review by the Department of Education, commissioned when Mr O'Dowd was its minister, found Stormont had failed to "lead the planning, development and growth of integrated education".

It called for active promotion of the sector as opposed to the department's statutory duty to encourage and facilitate integrated schooling.

During the assembly session on Tuesday, Education Minister Michelle McIlveen said segregated education was a "cruel result of our divided society".

However, for all children to be taught together, she said an integrated system "must evolve and cannot simply be effected by clumsy legislation".

"While I concur with the sentiments of many in relation to sharing and integration, passing this bill today will have serious and long-lasting adverse implications for our education system," she told MLAs.