BYNUALA MCALOON
Fears for the future of St. Mary's High School in Brollagh were heightened yesterday with the news that the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools is to commence a consultative process towards closing the school as soon as August next year.
The news follows a pre-consultation exercise which was carried out by CCMS in Autumn last year on the future of post primary education provision at Brollagh.
In response to this, the Bishop of Clogher Most Rev Dr Joseph Duffy, a Senior Trustee, requested that further research be conducted by a project working group comprising representations from the governing body, parents and community stakeholders.
Bishop Duffy has concluded: "Regrettably, the findings clearly indicate that due to a combination of factors the current high quality post primary education provision offered by the school cannot be sustained into the future."
A CCMS spokesperson said that having taken cognisance of the views of the local community, coupled with the extensive research paper, the Trustees have instructed CCMS to commence the consultative process to formulate a development proposal to close St Mary's High School effective from the 31 August 2010 or as soon as possible thereafter.
"CCMS has commenced the consultation process by facilitating a series of meetings with stakeholders. The consultation on the development proposal will remain open until 8 September."
SDLP MLA Tommy Gallagher, a former vice-principal at the school, held a meeting with CCMS yesterday (Tuesday) morning.
He said that while there was an obvious funding concern, CCMS had not made a definite decision to close the school next August.
"During the meeting, I pointed out the massive injustice this would be to the pupils who attend the school, the parents, teachers and the wider community in west Fermanagh. I also pointed out the case for Brollagh's retention as part of the overall agreed plan for post-primary education in Fermanagh."
Mr Gallagher said that CCMS representatives agreed this was a preferable option, but there was a question as to how to get around the funding problem.
"I have asked them to work with people like myself and elected representatives to see can we require funding for a transition period to take St. Mary's through to the overall plan agreed. "CCMS is prepared to support that kind of work, so the task now is to see what opportunities there are to require funding so Brollagh's future is the same as other post-primary schools in Fermanagh."
Mr Gallagher said this would require hard work but he was optimistic that Brollagh was in a unique position due to it being located so far from other post-primary schools in the county.
"If parents and the local community support the school by sending their children, it will help solve the problem.
"I am also hopeful that this consultation process will be extended. During the meeting, I outlined other ways of dealing with the issues and the importance of being fair to all post-primary schools and those whom they serve.
"I believe some of my message was taken on board, and there was a willingness from CCMS to explore other possible avenues I put before them. The two issues that are giving rise to problems are funding and curriculum entitlement.
"It is going to be a battle between the regulations that the Department is imposing - some of them impact negatively on rural communities and small schools - and flowing from that at present, is an unfairness and injustice. So, the challenge for education authorities is to ensure that there is a fairness in the system."
Meanwhile, Seamus Kelm, the chairman of the Parents Action Group who fought hard to keep the school open during the consultation process last Autumn, said a meeting with parents was due to take place last night (Tuesday).
He said CCMS and the post-primary review team had a part to play in the latest decision because their response was much too late.
"There has been falling enrolment over the last eight years, and they waited until it hit rock bottom before entering into consultation with parents and the wider public as to the future of the school.
"It is not a slur on the teachers that the school will close. Teachers can't deliver a curriculum if they have staff redundancies due to falling enrolment. On behalf of the parents, I feel that the consultation process should have been entered into seven or eight years ago when there would have been more options. It is very disappointing and a harsh reality."
Mr Kelm said the news would also come as a big blow to the community.
"It is going to have a knock-on effect on our rural community.
"The Belleek-Boho ward was noted as the most deprived in the UK in regard to our access to government services followed closely by Garrison-Belcoo, and limited access was one of our arguments for special circumstances in keeping the school open."
