Portora Royal School the possible location for the new Portora Collegiate amalgamated school
The Education Minister John O’Dowd has approved the proposed amalgamation of Portora Royal School and Enniskillen Collegiate Grammar School.
The annoucement was formally made this morning.
Since the proposal first came on the table the Collegiate have rigorously opposed the move and have an action group in place. The group previously sent a petition to Stormont against the amalgamation and have political support, including local DUP MLA and Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster.
Enniskillen Collegiate principal Elizabeth Armstrong expressed her ‘deep disappointment’ at the news.
“It is a matter of grave concern and deep disappointment that the Minister has chosen to close the Collegiate and ignore the clearly expressed opposition of the Board of Governors, staff, parents and pupils to these proposals. We have consistently called on the Minister to reject these controversial proposals which have caused significant division in the community and to give the leadership all our school communities and our wider community need in order to find a truly inclusive way forward for the good of all our young people. This call has clearly been ignored and the Minister has approved the closure of an oversubscribed controlled grammar school reducing further the number of post-primary schools in the controlled/voluntary sector from the original six to two in County Fermanagh. If this can happen to the Collegiate Grammar School is any grammar school or indeed any school in Northern Ireland safe from closure?”
She added that the fight was far from over.
“We are resolute in our determination to stand firm in our opposition to these proposals on the basis of the overwhelming public and community support expressed so vividly at both local and regional level during the consultation period.
This is by no means over and we will explore all possible options to overturn this decision.”
The Board of Governors at Portora have welcomed the decision. A spokesman from the board commented:
“The governors of Portora Royal School welcome the Minister’s approval of the development proposals and remain convinced that the decision will benefit all pupils in the controlled and voluntary sectors in Fermanagh while securing sustainable grammar school education in the county.”
Commenting on the decision, Mr O’Dowd said: “These proposals have generated a significant public response, both for and against. In taking my decision my focus was on the needs of children and young people, not on the institutions. My vision for education here is that all our young people have the opportunity to reach their full potential and are encouraged to do so, regardless of which sector they attend.”
He continued: “We must maintain a network of sustainable schools, capable of providing quality education across a broad and balanced curriculum. They must be financially viable as well as educationally sound and make the best use of the public money entrusted to us whilst also providing the environment to support pupils’ personal development.
“I recognise that the establishment of a new school will mean that two long-established schools will discontinue. However these proposals put the needs of the pupils first in determining the future of post-primary school provision in Fermanagh, rather than the needs of individual institutions.”
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