Catholic pupils dominate NW integrated schools

Education Minister John O’Dowd revealed that in 2010/11 70 per cent of Groarty Primary School’s 40 pupils were Catholic.

Fifty per cent (49.78) of Oakgrove Integrated Primary’s 385 pupils were Catholic compared with 26 per cent Protestant (25.55) and 25 per cent ‘other’ (24.67).

In Limavady 58.86 per cent of Roe Valley Integrated Primary School’s 146 pupils were Catholic compared with 26.58 per cent Protestant and 14.56 per cent ‘other.’

At secondary level 67.33 per cent of Oakgrove Integrated College’s 790 pupils were Catholic compared with 30.8 per cent Protestant and 1.87 per cent ‘other.’

Mr O’Dowd outlined the figures for 2010/11 in response to an Assembly Question from DUP MLA Mervyn Storey.

The statistics show that Oakgrove Integrated College was the only integrated school here to meet the Department’s criteria of a 30 per cent intake of pupils from a minority community and only barely so with 30.8 per cent Protestant pupils.

The information relates to the 2010/2011 school year. Across Northern Ireland there are currently 42 integrated primary schools, and 20 post primary schools.

Of these, 19 primary schools and 8 post primary schools did not have an intake of 30 per cent or more from a minority community.

Groarty Primary School, Oakgrove Integrated Primary School and Roe Valley Integrated Primary School were amongst the 19 integrated primary schools which failed to meet the 30 per cent minority intake benchmark.