TWO primary schools in Brookeborough are leading the way in shared education across the North after a shared campus proposal received widespread backing from the local community.
Two schools, Brookeborough Primary School – which is mainly Protestant – and Catholic primary school St Mary’s, Brookeborough, have launched a proposal which, if successful, would see the two schools merge.
In January this year, the Education Minister launched the Shared Education Campuses Programme, which would substantially increase the number of schools sharing facilities by next year.
The two Brookeborough primary schools are the only schools in Fermanagh to apply for funding, which is expected to be made public in a matter of weeks.
A survey carried out by the schools along with the Fermanagh Trust found that 93 percent of the local community are in support of the proposal for a shared campus while less than 1% was against the scheme.
Some of the proposals outlined to the Department of Education includes a new building built on a neutral site accommodating both schools, as well as the cross-community playgroup, and outdoor sport and play facilities.
If adopted, each school and playgroup would retain its own separate identity and ethos and would be open for the local community to use.
Brookeborough primary school currently has 63 pupils while St Mary’s has 52.
Dermot Finlay, principal of St Mary’s Primary School described it as a viable option during a period where rural education in under threat.
He said: “The proposal put forward is a viable option to keeping the two schools open and sustainable.
“Local education is constantly under threat and review and over the years it has progressed to the point where we thought if there was no local schools, what would it do to Brookeborough?
“Retaining the identities of the two schools and being able to work together is very important.
“While it’s not an amalgamation of the two schools, where appropriate things will be shared. There may be occasions where we could work together to put children through Feis and drama.
“It’s important the two schools are kept from closing.
“The Education Minister has told other schools that we are leading the way in shared education.”
Sinn Fein councillor for the area, Sheamus Greene, who also sits on the Board of Governors for St Mary’s, said there was an overwhelming support for the campus within the Brookeborough community.
“Over the last number of years we have looked at different models and have been in constant communication with the Controlled school and this was viewed as the best option. It has had the backing of the community who also feel that this is the right option.
“We are the only schools in Fermanagh that have applied for this funding and Brookeborough has been hailed as trail blazers.
“The last thing we want is to lose our schools and this is the ideal solution to the problem.
“Community relations in Brookeborough has always been good and maybe this is why there is such great support behind it all.
“A few years ago schools were told to start looking at long term planning and at that stage we started discussions between the two schools.
“Brookeborough has had very little investment of any kind and this would be a great boost to the town as well as it being the only one of its kind in Fermanagh.”
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