Arlene Foster with Catherine Robinson and Mandy Elliiott at the Collegiate meeting
THERE WAS standing room only as hundreds filled the Assembly Hall of Enniskillen Collegiate on Friday night to voice their opposition to the school’s proposed amalgamation with Portora.
Members of the action group, board of governors, staff, students and the general public all turned out in force and were supplemented by a healthy political representation from the main unionist parties.
First to speak on the night was parent and action group member Neville Hale, who welcomed everyone to the meeting including MLAs Arlene Foster and Tom Elliott, along with former MP and current chairman of the National Grammar Schools Association Robert McCartney QC.
Mr Hale spoke of his two daughters who ‘love’ the school and again questioned the validity of a new build. He also reiterated the concerns of the group that parents are not being listened to.
He commented: “We are not against change, as long as it is for the better. This proposal is not for the better. It will disrupt our children’s lives forever and rip a hole through the heart of this community, your community, if it is allowed to go ahead.”
Florence Brunt, chairman of the Board of Governors of the Collegiate Grammar School then outlined the broader background to this current proposal the WELB is taking forward and highlighted the repeated rejection by the overwhelming majority of respondents to previous consultations in 2008 and 2012.
Next to speak was school principal Elizabeth Armstrong. She stated that the amalgamation would close a highly successful all-girls selective grammar school with strong parental support and confidence across the community.
She highlighted the fact that the Collegiate was the most-oversubscribed school in all of the sectors in County Fermanagh and said a move to amalgamate would reduce the overall number of grammar school places. Miss Armstrong also questioned the numbers for the new school, telling the crowd they did not stack up.
Local MLAs Arlene Foster and Tom Elliott then spoke. Minister Foster praised the campaign and said: “It is good to show emotion and it is good to show emotion about this school. It shows that you care.”
She told the meeting that the board must get a definitive answer and said that those in attendance must make sure that answer is no.
Her demand for a new build for Devenish College was met with a great applause from the audience.
Mr Elliott criticised the process being used by the authorities and stated that any new build for Devenish College should not be dependent on the amalgamation of Collegiate and Portora. Mr Elliott stated that the proposed amalgamation between Portora and Collegiate was wrong.
“There should be no proposals up for discussion unless the capital funding is available for a new build to be put in place, then there can be discussions about the best way forward, and the outcome of that may not be an amalgamation, but rather the retention of a structure similar to what we have, with some changes.”
Robert McCartney QC, chairman of the National Grammar Schools Association spoke too from the platform.
An ardent supporter of academically selective grammar schools, he outlined his concerns regarding the impact of the policies of the current Education Minister, including area planning, on academically selective grammar schools in Northern Ireland.
He urged the audience to remain steadfast in their support for the Collegiate and for academically selective grammar school education within Northern Ireland.
Prevailing themes in the comments and observations from the floor of the meeting were the strong support for the Collegiate and the stand it is taking, a lack of trust and confidence in the WELB process and a robust determination to explore every avenue of opposition to this proposal.
There was also a strong mood of confidence that the proposal could be halted.
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