§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to develop a strategy and action plan to phase out racially segregated primary education of Traveller children at St. Mary's Primary School, Belfast. [165855]
§ Mr. GardinerSt. Mary's Primary School is not a designated "Traveller school" and there are no such schools in Northern Ireland. St. Mary's is a Catholic Maintained school which, as is the case with all grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland, is open to all children.
The Department of Education is required by law to have regard to the general principle that pupils shall be educated in accordance with the wishes of their parents. It is the case that many parents of Traveller children wish to have them educated in St. Mary's. While it is the Department's policy to encourage the integration in school of Traveller children with other children, there are no plans to phase out provision at St. Mary's for so long as there is a demand for places in the school from the parents of Traveller children.