TWO integrated colleges are to be allowed to admit more pupils after expansion plans were approved by the education minister.
Peter Weir accepted a proposal to establish a sixth form of 130 pupils at Parkhall Integrated College in Antrim.
Hazelwood College in Newtownabbey t will also see its overall numbers increase from 850 to 1010.
A total of 13 separate `development proposals' have been published in recent months, which aim to boost integrated numbers from nursery through to sixth form.
Government focus in recent years appeared to be moving away from promoting integrated education in favour of shared models, although some schools have been given approval to transform from state to integrated status.
Typically, shared education involves neighbouring Catholic and non-Catholic schools working together. Integrated schools educate Catholic and Protestant children under one roof.
There are 63 grant-maintained or controlled integrated schools. Overall, growth of the number of schools with an integrated management type has slowed since 2000 and in particular during the last decade.
Mr Weir recently approved a plan by Lagan College, one of the north's most oversubscribed schools, to admit 100 extra pupils.
His department officials advised him to back the proposals for both Hazelwood and Parkhall.
Parkhall IC, which transformed to integrated status in 2009, has an approved admissions number of 150 and has been consistently under-subscribed but on a, largely, upward trend, they said.
The percentage of Catholic pupils in the school is only 6.4 per cent with a high percentage of `other' (21.5) and Protestant pupils (72.1).
Advice sent to the minister concluded that it appeared feasible that "a significant number of leavers might seek to remain at Parkhall IC to progress to Post-16 study, indicating that demand for places should be at a level capable of sustaining viable sixth form provision".
A separate, but related, proposal to increase Antrim Grammar School's annual admission number from 105 to 112, was also approved.
The Education Authority, in consultation with the boards of governors of the two schools, had brought forward the proposals as part of its "strategic direction for education in the town of Antrim".
Hazelwood College, on the outskirts of north Belfast, meanwhile, will increase its admission number from 140 to 160 with an annual phased increase in overall enrolments from 850 to 1010.
Principal Kathleen O'Hare said she was "delighted" adding that the school opened 31 years ago with just 17 pupils.
