Givan welcomes decisive court ruling upholding lawful decision on Integrated school proposals
Date published:
Education Minister Paul Givan has today welcomed the High Court’s judgment which dismissed legal challenges against his decisions not to approve the transformation of Rathmore Primary School and Bangor Academy and Sixth Form College to integrated status.
In a comprehensive judgement, Mr Justice McAlinden found that the Education Minister acted lawfully and within the powers given to him under the Education Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 and the Integrated Education (Northern Ireland) Act 2022.
The Court confirmed that the Minister’s interpretation of the law, particularly around the requirement for “reasonable numbers” of pupils from both Protestant and Catholic backgrounds, was correct.
The judgement said:
‘the Minister cannot in law approve a proposal unless he considers it likely that reasonable numbers presently exist or will be achieved: “The Minister determined that he could not be so satisfied and even if a heavy-handed review was permitted, it would be hard to find fault with the Minister’s reasoning, let alone conclude that it was irrational or Wednesbury unreasonable.”
It went on to state:
“this judicial review, when carefully examined, is an attempt by some proponents of integrated education to effect a reversal of the realistic stance taken by the Minister by arguing that the introduction of the word ‘support’ in the legislative framework in 2022 somehow means that a very lax attitude to the requirement of ‘reasonable numbers’ should be adopted: “Such an attempt is doomed to failure for all sorts of reasons… The court refused leave to apply for judicial review in both cases.”
Paul Givan said:
“I welcome today’s clear and comprehensive ruling by the High Court. It confirms that my decisions were made lawfully, carefully and in line with the statutory duties governing integrated education. I remain committed to encouraging, facilitating and supporting integrated education as defined in the law. This ruling sets a significant precedent for future integrated education proposals and reaffirms the importance of legal and evidential rigour in shaping Northern Ireland’s educational landscape”
The Court also acknowledged the Minister’s Written Ministerial Statement on Reasonable Numbers, published in September 2025, which clarified the Department’s expectations for transformation proposals.
Notes to editors:
1. Link to the Education Minister's Written Statement on Reasonable Numbers - https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/publications/written-ministerial-statement-reasonable-numbers
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