A section of the large crowd at a Lisnaskea High School meeting
ANGRY parents who contacted the ‘Herald’ about the closure of Lisnaskea High School were clearly at odds with the sentiments expressed by the principal, Nick Hambly on Wednesday last, following the Minister’s announcement.
To a man (and woman) they spoke of ‘betrayal’ and were adamant, especially those with fourth year pupils about to enter their final year of study for their GCSEs, that they would not be going to Devenish College.
Mr Hambly’s note to the parents read: “Clearly, this is a sad day for Lisnaskea High School. In fact, it is the end of an era. It is a day for all to reflect on the school’s lasting role within the community with gratitude.
“It is also, however, a day to look optimistically towards the future. As a community, then, let’s celebrate what has passed and look forward to what lies ahead.”
Put in a nutshell, the parents’ argument is that it should not have come to that.
They submitted there were enough Year 8s (first years) coming from the seven ‘feeder’ primary schools until rumours of closure impelled parents to take their children elsewhere.
And, even with 107 (and 98 6th years) on the rolls, that the ‘shared education’ initiative already entered with St Aidan’s, Derrylin would have ensured the survival of the two schools, they say.
Jean Armstrong, from Clabby fears her son will have to repeat his year.
“My son’s in the middle of his GCSEs, and he doesn’t want to go to Devenish. He has done motor vehicles and German, and if he goes to another school he will lose those two subjects, which he loves.
“He cried and locked himself in his room and has just lost faith, and he isn’t the only one. His chums feel the same. They feel totally let down.”
Mrs Armstrong feared that the closure was part of a wider plan that would see local primary schools closing and moved into Lisnaskea.
“That will appease the Protestant community in that they will still have a school in Lisnaskea. It’s dreadful. Our Catholic friends in St Aidan’s will probably close and, Brollagh is the same.
“They have made a mess of Lisnaskea and they will make a mess of Devenish and in 18 months -2 years we’re going to be told there’s nothing else for it but to go to the Portora site.”
Raymond Nelson, Roslea, has two children in mid-GCSE, Gemma and Kyle.
“Gemma was told with the rest that the school was closing and she was very, very upset about having to resit it again. She won’t go to Devenish and Kyle isn’t going either.”
Asked why, Mr Nelson said he and the other parents were ‘totally against it’ from the start.
“My kids will not go to Devenish because they really believe that, in a few years’ down the line, Devenish will close too.”
Continuing, he said he was ‘very disappointed’ at the way the board of governors of Lisnaskea High School.
“They never took into account where we live, and there are other people who live on the far side of Roslea, Newtownbutler and Magheraveeley, they were never taken into consideration either.
“If people want to travel to another school, that’s up to them, but don’t expect other people to do it.
One Magheraveeley parent, Kim Foster reckoned the week’s travel to and from Enniskillen would work out at 250 miles for her daughter, Emma.
But, that wasn’t the only reason.
“There are lots of reasons. She’s generally afraid. We live in a rural area and, for her to arrive in Enniskillen, with all these different things, it is scary for her.
“She has completed 4th year and, now, she will have to repeat 4th year if we don’t go to Devenish, so obviously that has upset her a lot. Come September, I don’t know where she’s going to be.”
Kim went on: “Shared education was our hope, our only hope and it has been ignored as far as I can see. St Aidan’s were quite willing to help.”
Sharon Clarke has two daughters at Lisnaskea High, neither of whom want to go to Devenish College.
“I don’t know if Kirsty will have to re-sit her year, and Zara is only starting to make new friends in first year and, now, she has to make new friends once more.”
Mrs Clarke wondered why the doors had to close last Thursday when the school could have alerted the parents beforehand.
“It would have given us a chance to sort things out. Instead, we got a text message that it was closed. That’s how we got the news.”
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