IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1041 

Honoring the 25th anniversary of Northern Ireland’s first integrated school 

and further encouraging desegregation of schools and teacher training 

colleges in Northern Ireland. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 26, 2006 

Mrs. MCCARTHY (for herself, Mr. WALSH, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. HIGGINS, and Mr. MURPHY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

International Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the 25th anniversary of Northern Ireland’s first 

integrated school and further encouraging desegregation 

of schools and teacher training colleges in Northern Ireland. 

Whereas, since its foundation in 1921, Northern Ireland has 

had two separate, religiously-based, educational systems; 

Whereas Ireland still has segregated teacher training colleges; 

Whereas 2006 marks the 25th anniversary of the opening of 

Ireland’s first integrated school, Lagan College in south 

Belfast; 


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•HRES 1041 IH 

Whereas currently, there are 58 integrated schools in Northern Ireland: 39 are primaries and 19 are colleges for 11 

to 18 year olds; 

Whereas 94 percent of Protestant students attend Protestant 

schools, while 92 percent of Catholic students attend 

Catholic schools; 

Whereas currently 4.6 percent of all pupils—approximately 

18,000 students—attend an integrated school in Northern Ireland; 

Whereas the cost of running a segregated society amounts to 

as much as 1 billion pounds a year; 

Whereas recently the Government of Northern Ireland refused state funding for four integrated schools, despite 

an explicit promise in the Good Friday Agreement that 

such Government would ‘‘encourage and facilitate’’ the 

development of integrated schools; 

Whereas at the same time the Government of Northern Ireland announced the availability of 300 million pounds in 

building grants for segregated schools; 

Whereas in the landmark United States Supreme Court case, 

Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court looked 

at the effect of segregation on public education and held 

that ‘‘[I]n the field of public education the doctrine of 

‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational 

facilities are inherently unequal.’’; 

Whereas the Taoiseach noted in a March 30, 1999, speech 

at Hazelwood College in Belfast, ‘‘There is a need actively to combat the segregation and exclusion which are 

a breeding ground for ignorance, intolerance and sectarianism. Integrated education has an important part to 


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•HRES 1041 IH 

play in promoting partnership and mutual understanding.’’; 

Whereas, in a speech in Donegal in 2006, Secretary of State 

of Northern Ireland Peter Hain said, ‘‘Two segregated 

primary schools in a village are doomed to closure where 

a merger might be viable and produce a higher standard, 

where separately they cannot. Secondary schools with inadequate facilities where a rational school estate with integrated or shared facilities could produce high quality. 

. . . The educational future of Northern Ireland must be 

shared and focused on what unites, or divided it will be 

bleak.’’; 

Whereas, moreover, on September 19, 2006, Secretary Hain 

expressed concerns on the effect of maintaining segregated schools and stated, ‘‘. . . these factors have had 

a dramatic impact on our schools, with 50,000 empty 

desks across Northern Ireland. We must embrace collaboration and sharing across and between school sectors, allowing children and young people to share experiences 

and ensuring education spending is going to children in 

classrooms, not on maintaining empty desks.’’; 

Whereas the Good Friday Agreement states that ‘‘an essential aspect of the reconciliation process is the promotion 

of a culture of tolerance at every level of society, including initiatives to facilitate and encourage integrated education’’; 

Whereas by contrast, the goal of integration is to encourage 

children to understand differences so they begin to understand different cultures and overcome negative stereotypes; 


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•HRES 1041 IH 

Whereas in a recent study from Queen’s University in Belfast, research indicates that educating Catholics and 

Protestants together in school does have an effect on 

their attitudes later in life; 

Whereas people who have attended integrated schools in 

Northern Ireland have the potential to create a new political common ground; and 

Whereas integrated schools dilute sectarianism: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) honors the 25th anniversary of Northern 

3 Ireland’s first integrated school; and 

4 (2) further encourages desegregation of schools 

5 and teacher training colleges in Northern Ireland. 

Æ 


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