Three Northern Ireland integrated schools started by parents within the past two years have again begun the school year without government funding.
However, the chairman of the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education, Mr Martin Stroud, yesterday expressed confidence that all three would gain "conditional approval" and consequent funding by the end of the year. He and the NICIE's chief executive, Mr Michael Wardlow, met the Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr Mowlam, earlier this week to discuss their situation.
The three schools are Oakwood Primary School in Derriaghy, Co Antrim and two secondary schools, Strangford College near Newtownards, Co Down and Ulidia College near Carrickfergus, Co Antrim.
Oakwood opened two years ago with 25 pupils in prefabs on a derelict factory site. This year it will have 86 pupils. Despite this, it has been refused recognition and therefore funding four times.
However the chairman of its board of governors, Mr Hugh Wilkinson, said yesterday they were "extremely hopeful" that a new development proposal lodged with the department this week would finally lead to funding.
He said the department's objections to funding Oakwood had been because there was a nearby "transformed" integrated primary school at Hilden. This is a formerly largely Protestant "controlled" school which has converted to integrated status.
However, Mr Wilkinson pointed out that children from Catholic areas of Belfast like Twinbrook and Poleglass would not find it easy to go to such a school.
The chairman of the board of governors of Ulidia College, Mr Tom Pennycook, said that although its enrolment had grown from 63 last year to 130 this year, "not a penny of government money in any shape or form has been spent on this school".
Like Strangford College, it had depended largely on the NICIE established Integrated Education Fund and All Children Together for funding, together with some support from local industry.