On 06 August, the Integrated Education Fund (IEF) was delighted to hold a special event ‘Parental Choice & Preference: Education in Northern Ireland’ as a fitting part of the 2026 August Féile Debates & Discussions programme. Belfast-based freelance journalist, broadcaster and writer Amanda Ferguson chaired the event which included a presentation on recent research and a panel discussion. The event provided an opportunity to explore freelance journalist, researcher, and consultant Kathryn Torney’s research report, ‘School selection: Do parents really have a choice?’. Attendees heard a range of perspectives on the complex issue of parental choice.
The research explores parental choice and preference in relation to Integrated Education within the Northern Ireland education system. Torney focuses on listening to parents’ voices throughout, with extensive use of case studies and direct quotes. One clear challenging outcome is that:
“A strong message emerges from this research: many parents believe Northern Ireland’s education system needs to change.”
Key findings from the research indicate that demand for Integrated Education is still not being met with 69% of those parents surveyed saying that would want the option of attending an Integrated school “within a realistic travelling distance”. It goes further to highlight: “Decisions are often shaped by practical constraints with many parents reporting a shortage of Integrated schools or available places within existing Integrated schools.” The research shows that parents find the admissions process complex and challenging.
The research makes several recommendations, including a “Northern Ireland-wide survey of adults to assess current and future parental demand and preferences for different types of school provision”. The report also calls for greater “public knowledge and understanding of Integrated Education”, and suggests further work is needed to “explain what makes Integrated schools unique – that they educate children together with different cultures and beliefs (or none), those who experience deprivation and those who do not, and differing abilities”. Following the presentation, there was a panel discussion including perspectives from key stakeholders.
The panel discussion featured Nick Mathison MLA, Chair of the Education Committee; Jack Russell from Parents for Inclusive Education; IEF Chief Executive Paul Caskey OBE; Kathryn Torney; and parent advocate Natalie Johnston. The event provided space for challenging conversations between the contributors and the audience. There was a strong sense among participants that the answer to the key question is ‘no’- parents do not really have a choice and efforts must be made to broaden the realistic options available for parents.
‘School Selection: Do parents really have a choice’ is available to view on IEF’s research hub here: https://www.ief.org.uk/our-work/research/
