Debate contribution: Integrated Schools: Reasonable Numbers
Debate contribution by Mr Paul Givan on .
- MLA
- Mr Paul Givan
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 8 September 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Integrated Schools: Reasonable Numbers
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5068465
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for that question. I recently published a written ministerial statement that set out my approach to the concept of "reasonable numbers" in the context of integrated education. That is a key consideration under articles 71 and 92 of the Education Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 and is now further defined in the Integrated Education Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. Put simply, the legislation requires that a school that is seeking to become integrated must be "likely to provide integrated education". That includes educating reasonable numbers of Protestant and Catholic pupils together, a principle that has been central to integrated education since its inception. I will be clear: the Department will not apply a rigid, one-size-fits-all definition. I recognise that local circumstances vary. I believe, however, that meaningful integration must be grounded in a genuine mix of pupils from both traditions. Transformation should reflect genuine integration and not just a change in designation. Therefore, as a general principle, the Department will expect transformation proposals to demonstrate that a school is likely to attract at least 10% of its year 1 or year 8 intake from the minority religion or that 15% of the combined number of Protestant and Catholic pupils will be from the minority religion in the first year of transformation. The balance should improve over time, with an aspiration for there to be broadly similar proportions from both communities. My approach has been informed by the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) 'Statement of Principles'; by academic research, such as that on contact theory; and by the lived experience of integrated schools across Northern Ireland. I trust that that provides clarity to the Member and to Members more widely.
284 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: 0.06 (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).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.91).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.95).
- 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 | 0.13 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.04 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.03 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.04 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.91 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.06 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.95 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.01 |
| Adopts it | 0.04 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Education structures, integration and community division | 0.68 |
| Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice) | 0.31 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.01 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:01 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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