PARENTS of post-primary school children in Enniskillen have responded in strong numbers to a consultation on the much-debated plan to merge the town’s Catholic-maintained schools.

Representatives from the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) recently met with parents to outline the plan, which would see St Joseph’s College and St Fanchea’s College close as institutions, with St Michael’s College and Mount Lourdes Grammar School absorbing their pupils and staff.

Following the meetings, parents of pupils affected by the proposed changes were urged to complete an online ‘Pre-Publication Consultation Response’ form.

It’s now understood that if the CCMS and the schools’ trustees decide to proceed with the consultation process, a development proposal will be put forward to the Education Authority.

After the four-week pre-publication consultation with the affected schools, an eight-week public objection period would follow.

The responses from this process will be sent to the Department of Education.

The ‘Herald understands that the potential decision to close St Joseph’s and St Fanchea’s has been met with frustration from staff and parents.

In a document leaked to this newspaper, the CCMS reported that declining pupil numbers was one of the key reasons behind the proposed closures.

The CCMS report also set out that both St Michael’s College and Mount Lourdes Grammar School would retain their voluntary grammar school status under the new structure. However, neither school would use academic selection criteria as part of their admission process.

One of the reasons for the proposed merger is to enhance the curriculum and subject choices available to pupils, with the aim of improving the overall standard of education.

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