What's happening?

Parents at Ballyhackett Primary School (a Catholic maintained school) have voted strongly (69% support) to become an integrated school. It's one of several Catholic maintained schools hoping to be the first to successfully transform (become integrated) following a parental vote.

Rather than being organised around a specific religious community, integrated schools are designed to bring together pupils, families and teachers of all backgrounds.

What's our view?

There is extremely broad support across all communities in Northern Ireland for children to be educated together in good inclusive schools. Sadly institutions have not kept pace with the public's wishes and the vast majority of schools remain segregated along religious lines. This fragmented education system exacerbates community tensions, wastes taxpayers' money and undermines children's religious freedom.

Where (as here) there is strong democratic support for an existing single faith school to become integrated (transformation), the Department of Education must give the proposal series consideration.

Who are we?

No More Faith Schools is a national campaign coordinated by the National Secular Society and with supporters from a broad social, political and religious spectrum. We're dedicated to an end to state funded faith schools. We would like all schools to have an inclusive community ethos, free from any religious discrimination, privilege or control.

We help people challenge new faith schools, particularly where they have discriminatory admissions rules and where there are proposals for inclusive alternatives.

When do you get a say?

Please sign our petition and send your expression of support to dps@education-ni.gov.uk (Proposal #644) by 18 September 2020. The deadline for all current development proposals has been extended due to Covid-19.