St Mary’s High School, Brollagh.
PARENTS of Brollagh School will not accept “short term solutions” or “stays of execution” as the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) has withdrawn a proposal to close the school.
The CCMS made a U-turn in a letter to the Board of Governors on Thursday. It had threatened to close the school by August 31 next year but the body gave no explanation for the dramatic U-turn.
Parents Council chairman Mr Seamus Kelm said it was great news but that the parents of the children at the school would not accept “short term solutions” or “stays of execution”. He added that parents groups would “ be reluctant to engage with the CCMS unless there was a clear road map planned out”.
In their letter, seen by the Fermanagh Herald, the Education Provision Committee of the CCMS said it had “discussed the issues raised during the public objection period to the proposal to cease provision at St Mary’s High School Brollagh. Having given these matters their due consideration the committee has determined that they wish to withdraw the current development proposal.”
The committee did however emphasise their commitment to addressing the educational needs of children in the Brollagh area and so will revisit the proposal subject to exploration of a wider area solution.
“CCMS would wish to convey our thanks to you, the staff and governors during this difficult period and of course we will continue to engage with you in the future as alternative proposals emerge”.
In response, Mr Kelm said: “The Education Provisions Committee of the CCMS state that “they are committed to the education provision of the children in the Brollagh area. Therefore they will have to be held to account and deliver.
Mr Kelm added, “We will not accept any short term solutions at “stays of execution” but rather we demand proper research and consultation into establishing a sustainable school that will serve the present and next generation of young people in west Fermanagh. We have been here before in June 2009 and again in June 2014 when we were promised that real consultation would take place into getting a solution, but this never happened.”
To read more.. Subscribe to current edition
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere