St Eugene’s College, Roslea
ROSLEA Councillor Brian McCaffrey has said that the push by the CCMS to proceed to public consultation with the merger of St Comhghall’s Lisnaskea and St Eugene’s Roslea is the ‘wrong decision’.
The Sinn Fein councillor said that there is ‘considerable anger and considerable dissatisfaction in the area’.
However principal of St Comhghall’s, Gary Kelly welcomed the decision telling the Fermanagh Herald: “I’m absolutely delighted, it’s probably long overdue and we look forward to it.”
Principal of St Eugene’s in Roslea, Martin Knox, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
A statement released by The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) yesterday, Tuesday, read: “CCMS plans to proceed to public consultation on the proposal to amalgamate St Comhghall’s College Lisnaskea, and St Eugene’s College Roslea. A development proposal will be forwarded to the Education Authority in the near future.”
Cllr McCaffrey went on: “I believe that in light of the proven record of the school that closing it would be the wrong decision. On the other hand I think it’s fairly obvious that CCMS are intent on closing it and have been from the very beginning. In terms of consultations, I think they’d already taken their decision a long time ago,” he said.
It is understood that the merged school would be based at the Lisnaskea site, and Mr McCaffrey said that he ‘can’t take anything positive out of that’.
“Effectively it removes secondary level education from Roslea. It will lead to the closure of the school, it will ultimately lead to the loss of jobs and it will leave a very, very big hole at the heart of this community.”
From a St Comhghall’s perspective, however, Mr Kelly said: “They’re two outstanding schools. I think bringing both of them together is going to make a stronger school for all the children in the area. I think it’s only good news for the pupils and the staff and the communities of Lisnaskea and Roslea.”
“I can’t say what the feeling is in Roslea, I just don’t know. But I think they’re probably looking forward to it as well.”
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