The ‘business’ of integrated education

Businesswoman and lawyer Margaret Mountford, known for her appearances on BBC’s ‘The Apprentice’, has endorsed the work of the Integrated Education Fund (IEF) during a return visit to Northern Ireland.

Mountford spoke with staff and pupils at Hazelwood Integrated College in Newtownabbey and expressed her admiration for its new STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) centre for post-GCSE students. The centre opened in October after delays over planning issues at the beginning of term. The buildings were constructed after receiving £150,000 in grants from the IEF and the Belfast Trust for Integrated Education.

“Seeing the young people from different backgrounds and cultures working together to prepare for the world ahead of them is inspiring and a fantastic image of a new Northern Ireland,” she said.

“I hear from the business community here that there is an urgent need to move away from an expensive, segregated education system to a network of properly-resourced schools preparing pupils for the global jobs market. It’s time to recognise that diversity means strength, and integrated schools have been demonstrating that for many years now.”

Hazelwood’s principal, Kathleen Gormley, commented: “Everyone was delighted to welcome Margaret Mountford to the school and the pupils really enjoyed engaging with her, and hearing Margaret’s story. We are very proud that on a trip home to Northern Ireland, she chose to visit an integrated school to see for herself how young people of all backgrounds and abilities can thrive together.”