Easing the process of establishing integrated and Irish-language schools in Northern Ireland is one issue to be examined by the North's Education Minister, Mr Martin McGuinness, in coming weeks.
Mr McGuinness, the Sinn Fein MP for Mid-Ulster, yesterday announced funding for a new integrated primary school at Carryduff, outside Belfast, and a secondary school in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim. He said the two schools had successfully demonstrated their potential to meet the criteria.
However, he admitted that the criteria for new schools, based on enrolment figures, affordability and also religious balance for integrated schools, could be too high.
"That affects not just the issue of integrated education but also Irish medium education. I will look in very great detail at that over the course of the next few weeks," Mr McGuinness said in an interview with BBC Radio Ulster.
He expected voluntary grammar schools, the state-controlled sector, Catholic maintained schools, Irish-language schools and integrated schools all to submit their arguments for increased funding.
"The judgment I have to make is if people are coming forward with reasonable, viable schemes which will provide an excellent education, which suit the needs of parents and particular interest groups in our society," he said.
It was wrong for people to see the growth of integrated schooling as a threat to Catholicism or Protestantism. He favoured the introduction of educational programmes of mutual understanding and conflict resolution in single-religion schools.
Commenting on the debate over the 11-plus selection process, Mr McGuinness said he was opposed to the examination but stressed that he would wait for the conclusions of a Queen's University report due next month before taking a decision.
The chairwoman of the Integrated Education Fund, Ms Anne Odling-Smee, yesterday congratulated the parents at the two schools which had secured funding "for their vision and determination" to address segregation in education.
"Their success will, in no small measure, contribute to a growth in understanding and tolerance in our society, which is essential if bigotry and sectarianism are to be eliminated," she said.
The Alliance Party leader, Mr Sean Neeson, MLA for East Antrim, welcomed the announcement.
However, the Workers' Party spokeswoman on education, Ms Marian Donnelly, said the funding did not go far enough.
She called for the establishment of an Assembly committee to formulate a strategy for the introduction of integrated education in the North. "Until this is done then gestures by Mr McGuinness are simply that, gestures," Ms Donnelly added.
Meanwhile anti-agreement unionists have criticised Methodist College in south Belfast for permitting Mr McGuinness to tour the school on Thursday. Pupils and the media were not informed of the visit in advance.
Mr Sammy Wilson of the DUP, a former pupil of the school, claimed angry parents and pupils had contacted him. "I condemn the underhand tactics of Methodist College in smuggling Martin McGuinness into the school," he said.
The leader of the Northern Ireland Unionist Party, Mr Cedric Wilson, said parents should now inform the principal of their children's school in order to reserve the right to withdraw their children if Mr McGuinness visited the school.