Debate contribution: Integrated Education Provision: South Belfast
Debate contribution by Mr David Brooks on .
- MLA
- Mr David Brooks
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 14 January 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Adjournment
- Heading
- Integrated Education Provision: South Belfast
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4736906
Read the official Assembly record
Text
It is a genuine question, and it probably comes out of some of the discussions that have been taking place this week. It is something that I have not grasped yet. What exactly is it about the ethos of integrated schools that is explicitly different from our other schools? Often, when you ask the question, you genuinely hear the talk about tolerance, encouraging understanding and respect for the other. That is something that, I feel, I got in my school and that other schools do. It is not just about saying that there are wonderful schools in every sector, because I think that we all think that, in the same way as I believe that there are wonderful integrated schools. That is something that the integrated sector has to grapple with in defining itself. It is not about a certain number of people from the traditional Protestant and Catholic —.
No, I am OK. Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker.
161 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.18 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.61).
- Subject area: Education structures, integration and community division.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.23 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.07 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.09 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.11 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.42 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.18 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.61 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.38 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.01 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Education structures, integration and community division | 0.96 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.03 |
| Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice) | 0.01 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:50 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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