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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1041 Introduced in House (IH)]

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;
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 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;
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
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
            (1) honors the 25th anniversary of Northern Ireland's first 
        integrated school; and
            (2) further encourages desegregation of schools and teacher 
        training colleges in Northern Ireland.
                                 <all>
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