Annoyed integrated school school in NI has been refused

[Hankunamatata]

Ok so little NI background. We have a type of school called intergated which usually dictate pupil intake of 40%Catholic, 40% Protestant and 20% Other.

Two NI schools would like to transform to integrated and education minister has said no even though parents have voted in the majority for the change.

And yes the DUP do not wanted integrated schools. I'm furious.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz6l62gj1qgo

Appalling. Saw that on news.

As I’ve read the article the minister claims the school community and/or local areas couldn’t generate the required religious/other makeup of students to achieve integrated status. Am I understanding that correctly OP?

It seems that the school’s parents and staff were supportive of this, but I wonder if parents from the ‘other’ majority community and ‘none/other’ religious backgrounds were asked if they’d send their kids to the integrated school? Surely that would either lend weight to, or rebut, the minister’s claims.

The only requirement is that the parents at the school want to change to integrated, parents at other schools are not involved.
There is no requirement for a certain proportion of pupils to come from any denomination in order to change to integrated status, which is what the Education Minister claimed: a primary school was successful in changing to integrated recently despite having no Catholic pupils; the following year they had two.