SAVE OUR SCHOOL… Pupils from the Collegiate who travelled to Stormont on Monday
THE Collegiate Action Group took their case to Stormont yesterday, Tuesday, with two bus loads of staff, parents, pupils and board of governors making the trip.
A decision was made recently by the Western Board (WELB) backing proposals for a new voluntary co-educated grammar school between Enniskillen Collegiate Grammar School and Portora Royal School.
The Collegiate has always been fiercely opposed to the amalgamation and the action group, set up originally last year took their case to the next level yesterday.
The group had over 100 members in Belfast, and were greeted by DUP MLA Arlene Foster who received their petition which has gathered 7,000 signatures to date.
The MLA presented the speaker of the assembly with the petition before speaking on the matter on why she believes that the proposal must be stopped.
Minister Foster said: “The Western Education and Library Board recently published a development proposal which will mean the closure of both the Collegiate Grammar and Portora Royal Schools by September 2015.
“I, the Board of Governors of the Collegiate, the parents, pupils and staff of the Collegiate and as this petition shows, the community of Fermanagh, reject this bizarre plan from the Western Board. ”I say bizarre because Enniskillen Collegiate is the most oversubscribed school from any sector in County Fermanagh and yet it faces closure.
“It is well regarded throughout Northern Ireland and beyond for its excellence and yet it faces closure. No wonder I call this decision bizarre.”
Following this, representatives of the group met with First Minister Peter Robinson, one that Collegiate principal Elizabeth Armstrong described as positives.
“It was a very open and frank meeting where the controversial issues surrounding this proposal at both local and regional level were discussed.
“We were very pleased that the regional media were there to record the strength of opposition to these proposals,” she added.
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