Types of school

Controlled schools are managed by the education and library boards through their boards of governors. Nursery, grammar and special school boards of governors consist of representatives of parents, teachers and the education and library boards. Primary and secondary school boards of governors also have representatives of transferors (mainly the Protestant churches). Running costs are met in full, under the local management of schools arrangements, by the education and library boards.

Voluntary maintained schools are managed by boards of governors which consist of members nominated by trustees (mainly Roman Catholic), along with representatives of parents, teachers and education and library boards. Running costs are met in full, under the LMS arrangements, by the education and library boards; approved capital building costs are grant-aided up to 85 per cent by the Department of Education in Northern Ireland.

Voluntary grammar schools may be under Roman Catholic or non-denominational management and receive grants from the Department of Education for Northern Ireland. Their main distinguishing feature is that they can select pupils by ability.

All grammar schools provide courses for the 11 to18 range and tend to concentrate on preparing pupils for courses in further or higher education.

They are managed by boards of governors which consist of representatives of parents and teachers, and others decided by each school.

Approved capital spending attracts grants of up to 85 per cent from the department. Since the 1991/92 financial year, running costs in voluntary grammar schools have been funded through the LMS formula.

Apart from a small capital fee, education is free. Eleven voluntary grammar schools in Northern Ireland offer boarding accommodation. Boarding fees vary from approximately £1,100 to £1,800 per term.

New Category: since 1993, voluntary maintained and voluntary grammar schools can apply for designation as a new category of voluntary school, which is eligible for a 100 per cent as opposed to 85 per cent grant. Such schools are managed by a board of governors on which no single interest group has a majority of nominees.

Integrated Schools exist to educate Protestant and Roman Catholic children together.

There are two types: grant-maintained integrated schools which are funded by the Department of Education for Northern Ireland, and controlled integrated schools funded by the education and library boards.

Initial proposals to form such schools are made on behalf of local parents. The schools must enrol reasonable numbers of both Protestant and Catholic pupils. The Department of Education for Northern Ireland gives grants of 100 per cent for approved running costs and capital expenditure.

Procedures are in place for balloting parents in existing segregated schools to determine whether they want instead to have integrated schools.

There were 45 integrated schools providing places for 14,000 pupils, or 4% of all schoolchildren, by autumn 2000.

Irish-medium schools. There are 15 primary schools and two secondary schools in which teaching is in Irish.

One of the two secondary schools, in Belfast, has maintained status and gets Department of Education funding. The other is in Londonderry and operates without state funding.

One of the primary schools, in Armagh, is a unit within an English-medium primary school.

Children normally spend two years in a nursery class where they are exposed to the Irish language, which they begin using more actively in the first and second year of primary school.