A PRIVATE member's bill to promote integrated education might create a "two-tier system", it has been warned.
Gerry Campbell, chief executive of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS), was speaking as the Stormont education committee took views on the proposed legislation by Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong.
Currently the Department of Education must encourage and facilitate integrated education.
Ms Armstrong's bill proposes the setting of minimum targets for the number of children being educated in integrated schools, as well as providing dedicated funding.
Just 7 per cent of children in Northern Ireland attend schools in the formally integrated sector.
The committee heard views from CCMS as well as the Transferor Representative Council (TRC) made up of the Protestant churches.
Bishop Donal McKeown said it was "in many ways a very radical piece of legislation", and "very narrow piece of legislation".
"All our schools would intentionally promote an ethos of diversity and so on, this is a bill which says that really can only be promoted in one sort of school," he said, adding it "looks at a structure rather than an outcome".
Mr Campbell said CCMS was concerned that the draft bill "does not appear to recognise the contribution of and the diversity of the Catholic maintained sector and its schools".
He said 44 per cent of parents express preference for a faith-based education, and Catholic maintained schools are open to all faiths and none.
"Catholic education is naturally inclusive and provides the opportunity for holistic growth, academic excellence and achievement for all," he said.
"In a mature society, it is essential that parents, carers and learners have the freedom to exercise the right to articulate a preference for the school that best suits their needs and philosophical beliefs."
DUP MLA Robin Newton asked the delegation if it believed the proposed legislation might result in the Catholic sector becoming regarded as "second class educators".
Mr Campbell responded: "I think very clearly if there was a promotion of one sector above all others that is a two-tiered system."
The delegation representing the TRC included Dr Antia Gracie of the Methodist Church.
Dr Gracie said the TRC was "very much in favour of educating the whole community together", adding that controlled schools in areas of high levels of ethnic and cultural diversity "have become the most diverse school communities of any sector".
She said controlled schools educate "at least 30 per cent of all newcomer students in Northern Ireland".
"Our schools are open to pupils from all of Christianity and our teaching staff also include many who are not from a Protestant community," she added.
