Unmet demand: Time to close the gap

The vision of the Integrated Education Fund (IEF) is for a society where our children and young people increasingly learn together at the same school, regardless of their religion, cultural identity, socioeconomic background, or academic ability.

The IEF believes that greater integration between communities is essential to building a more reconciled, forward-looking society. In a recent societal survey published by the Department of Education (DE), the Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey, 76 per cent of respondents who stated a preference for a type of school, chose integrated.

As the school age population in Northern Ireland is decreasing, we need a more cohesive, streamlined, and cost-effective education system for all our children.

In April 2026, The IEF launched its new strategic vision for 2026-2030 Unmet demand: Time to close the gap. The Strategy highlights the need for decisive action to work towards meeting parental demand for integrated education in Northern Ireland.

You can read the strategic vision in full on IEF’s website: ief.org.uk

What is integrated education?

Integrated schools go beyond just educating Catholic and Protestant pupils together, they also bring together children with no faith, different faiths, different abilities, special needs and children who come from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

Furthermore, integrated schools are co-educational, educating boys and girls together. Arguably, such fully inclusive schools offer the best chance to be truly open to all. They are schools for all the family. This intentional integration extends beyond pupils; it includes teachers, staff, governors, parents and the wider school community.

All schools can become integrated through a process called transformation. For more information on how your school can explore this process see: IntegrateMySchool.com