Sir, – In poll after poll, most people in Northern Ireland agree that education should be integrated.
Yet the majority of our children attend schools that are segregated and grow up not knowing people of the “other ” religion or background.
They inherit fears about the “other” side of our population.
The extreme parties play on these fears to get people to vote to keep the “other” side out.
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Hence while we are supposed to have a powersharing Assembly, for almost a year no proper decisions have been taken on education, health and all the matters of real importance to everyone.
The two extreme parties do not understand that compromise is an essential in all our actions.
Now Brexit is tearing us apart even more.
Our education budget is overstretched, and many schools have empty desks.
It only needs parents of different schools to come together and agree to amalgamate their schools and transform to integrated status.
There will be economic as well as social and educational benefits for all of us. – Yours, etc,
MARGARET MARSHALL,
Belfast.