TWO Enniskillen Catholic secondary schools are to close in the latest educational shake-up to impact pupils in Fermanagh.

New proposals state that St. Fanchea's College and St. Joseph's College will “discontinue” in September 2018, with St. Fanchea's pupils transferring to an expanded Mount Lourdes school and St. Joseph's pupils transferring to an expanded St. Michael's school.

The newly-created, single sex schools will be non-academically selective but will be classified as Voluntary Grammar Schools.

The two schools will “work closely together in formal collaboration” with “the feasibility of gradually moving away in the longer term to co-educational (mixed) provision.”

Evening meetings were held at the four Enniskillen schools on Tuesday and Wednesday. Representatives from the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) called the meetings to discuss the proposal which was drawn up by the Trustees of Clogher Diocese.

The meetings were told that the recommendations come in response to the Department of Education's area-based planning requirements.

Discussions with staff and governors at the four schools began in October 2014 but agreement could not be reached on whether to close the two girls schools and create a new amalgamated girls school and close the two boy's schools and create a new amalgamated boys school, or to close the two smaller schools and transfer the pupils into the larger schools. The Trustees have decided on the second option because amalgamation is “more complex” and involves the establishment of new trusts which could be disruptive to all pupils and staff in all four schools.

A presentation from the CCMS says they chose the second option because: “Trustees believe there is significant demand for Voluntary Grammar Schools and over the past five years the two existing Voluntary Grammar Schools have attracted an average of 77 per cent of first preferences at transfer.”

On the issue of doing away with academic selection, the CCMS presentation states: “The two schools created created by this process would be non-academically selective Voluntary Grammar Schools which is in line with Trustee policy on the removal of academic criteria for admission to post-primary schools.”

Current enrolment at the schools (2014-15) totals 2,055. Enrolment projections indicate the need for 2,200 places in Catholic post-primary schools in Enniskillen by 2025.

The Impartial Reporter contacted CCMS for clarification on a number of issues surrounding the proposal but they had not replied at the time of going to press.

Consultation responses from parents, pupils, members of Boards of Governors and staff will be accepted until 5pm Monday, January 18.