A UK minister said there is “so much wrong” with youngsters in Northern Ireland not meeting their first Catholic or unionist until their late teens.
Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker told MPs he is “absolutely all in favour” of school choice, but raised concerns over costs and social divisions.
He cited a report which suggested £600,000 a day is spent on “maintaining a divided education system” in Northern Ireland as he backed calls for integration.
Mr Baker told the House of Commons: “It can’t be right just on a cost basis, never mind all of the social divisions that it leads to.
“That conversation needs to be had. I’ve made my position very clear and the Government’s position is very clear: we are in favour of integrated education. I know there will be a spectrum of views.”
