The Portora site is so far the only viable option for the location of the proposed amalgamated new school
The Western Education and Libary Board have backed proposals for an amalgamation between Portora Royal School and Enniskillen Collegiate Grammar.
At a meeting today (Thursday) at the WELB headquarters in Omagh delegations from Enniskillen Collegiate, Portora and Devenish College all stated their cases for the future of education in Fermanagh. The Collegiate strongly voiced their opposition to amalgamation, while the representatives from Portora and Devenish stated the merits for such a move.
Members of the board backed the development proposals 260, 261 and 262 for an amalgamation between the two schools to form a new voluntary co-educated grammar school and the closure of Portora and the Collegiate as single entities.
The proposals will be published within the next two weeks and it is expected the public consultation period will run for two months from that date.
Speaking after the decision Neville Hale from the Collegiate deputation said he felt ‘betrayed’ by Devenish College who he felt had sacrificed the Collegiate to gain their new build by backing the proposed new two school model (A new Devenish school based at the Tempo Road Enniskillen and a new build at the Portora site for an amalgamated Portora and Collegiate).
“We’re disappointed by that, we’re not surprised by the decision that has been taken by the Western Education and Library Board, we have a lack of faith in that organisation and how it has conducted itself.”
The Collegiate have vowed to fight on and stated in their original statements to the board they were prepared to explore ‘legal’ and ‘political avenues’ to achieve their aims.
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