Seven new religiously-integrated schools are to open in the North on Wednesday, the biggest single increase in provision of such schools since 1981.
The new schools, which have an intake of both Catholic and Protestant children and which reflects the religious composition of the catchment area, will bring the total of integrated schools and colleges in the North to 57.
The schools will have GMI or grant maintained integrated status which means they are not state-controlled but are supported and financed by the Department of Education.
Primary schools at Glencraig and Groomsport, Co Down will transfer to the new integrated status while four new schools and one college accept pupils for the first time from tomorrow.
The new schools are Armagh Integrated College, Armagh; Drumlins Integrated Primary School, Ballynahinch, Co Down; Phoenix Integrated Primary School, Cookstown, Co Tyrone; Roe Valley Integrated Primary School, Limavady, Co Derry and Lir Integrated Primary School, Ballycastle, Co Antrim.
The Armagh and Lir schools will open with independent funding from the Integrated Education Fund (IEF), a charitable trust which backs integrated schooling.
The North's first integrated school, Lagan College in Belfast, opened in 1981 with fewer than 30 pupils. The new schools will take the integrated school population to well over 17,000.
The five new grant maintained integrated schools are the result of efforts by parent steering groups. These groups were guided by the Council for Integrated Education as part of its school support programme and receive financial support from the Integrated Education Fund. Glencraig and Groomsport primaries opted to transform to integrated status after successful parental ballots were undertaken.
Mr Michael Wardlow, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education, said: "Never before, in the history of the integrated movement, has NICIE supported so many schools to open in one year. This achievement is testament to the commitment, vision and courage of parents, principals and NICIE staff. We wish all the new schools success for the future."
He added: "Special thanks must be paid to our sister organisation, the Integrated Education Fund (IEF), for committing independent funding to Lir Integrated Primary School and Armagh Integrated College."
Ms Tina Merron, director of the Integrated Education Fund, said: "Parents remain the driving force behind integrated education."