Mr. Nigel Frith:

I was referring to the section in Ms Noreen Campbell's report where she discussed opportunities for the future and the importance of building on the Good Friday Agreement. She refers in the section to such issues as the economy, the concept of identity and educational administration. As she notes, the establishment of a new education authority presents opportunities for change.

The report goes on to discuss the process of area-based planning which has been established in Northern Ireland for the past four years, whereby the planning of educational provision within an area is strategically identified and explored. Unfortunately, under this system, we still have different sectors fighting for their own interests. The process remains partisan and there is no sense of a genuinely fresh look at educational provision within an area or any consideration of what is in the best interests of that area. Moreover, it does not take on board in a wholehearted or honest way the concept of integrated education. As such, it is a deeply flawed system. We ask the committee to consider challenging the basis on which area-based planning was designed and is being implemented.

Ms Campbell goes on to talk in her report about the fact that the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education, of which she is chief executive officer, has designed a new pathway into integrated education - Positive Partnerships for Integration.

This is a way in which schools that are not currently integrated can express an interest in gradually taking steps towards becoming integrated schools with the support of the Northern Ireland Council. Ms Campbell states that on a first request for expressions of interest relatively recently, more than 50 schools expressed a interest in exploring this as a way forward. There are ways of developing the concept of integrated education within Northern Ireland. She went on to talk about the Stormont House Agreement and the capital funding package of €500 million. We are not sure where we are with the Stormont House Agreement at the moment, but if it does goes through we would love to think that some of that funding would be diverted specifically into integrated education. In addition, PEACE IV will come online in September. The figure of £45 million has been allocated for shared education. One of our questions is how to ensure that a healthy proportion of that is put towards integrated education.

Ms Noreen Campbell is asking that we explore the possibilities of the PEACE IV funding, specifically addressing integrated education and the possibility of calling for an independent commission to be established to reform the education system in Northern Ireland.Our concern is that, within the current remit of the different political parties and sectors, it is almost a mandate for no change. Because the existing bodies are being given the task of looking at the system we have, there is very little hope for substantial change, whereas an independent commission could look at it with fresh eyes and say that it proposes a way forward - it would be a different approach entirely, with a fresh look at the whole system.

Ms Noreen Campbell's final paragraph states:

The embedding of peace needs constant attention; the dangers of following a path of 'separate but equal' must be challenged. The endorsement of the Good Friday Agreement by the vast majority of people on this island represented vote for a 'shared future'. Educating our children together is a critical building block of such a future.

I thank the members for their attention.