PLANS to close two Catholic maintained post primary schools in Enniskillen are being opposed by parents and pupils, with one local father calling for the consultation process to be taken seriously by education officials.
A new proposal states 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.
Hundreds of parents attended meetings in the four schools last Tuesday and Wednesday to hear the proposal being outlined by Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) officials.
The Trustees of Clogher Diocese, who drew up the proposal, state that the two new schools might “gradually” move towards co-educational (mixed) provision.
Academic selection would be done away with in Mount Lourdes Grammar School and St. Michael’s College.
In a statement to the press two days after the school meetings, CCMS said: “The Trustees’ proposals ... for St. Michael’s College and Mount Lourdes Grammar School include the removal of academic selection for entry at year eight and the expansion of admissions and enrolment number for both schools. The proposal for St. Fanchea’s and St. Joseph’s College is that they should both discontinue and pupils transfer into St. Michael’s College and Mount Lourdes Grammar School.
“If the Trustees decide, after this initial consultation process, to continue with proposals for the area, the new Education Authority will consult with other local schools and organisations before publishing development proposals. It would then be a matter for the Minister of Education to decide on each development proposal.”
To date, a negative response to the plan has been registered by Impartial Reporter readers on facebook, with many people questioning the proposal.
Ann Donnelly from Maguiresbridge, wrote: “It would appear that co-ed was not considered by CCMS. They chose the worst possible option to present to parents this week … Change is inevitable but a merging of St. Fanchea’s and St. Joseph’s would take them to the ‘numbers’ required and would enable our children to be educated in a manner fitting for them.”
Similarly, Stephanie Kenny wrote: “If a merger had to happen, I’d be happier with St. Michael’s and Mount Lourdes merging together (and St. Fanchea’s and St. Joseph’s). Based on my own experience as a student of Mount Lourdes, I value the level of education I got from a grammar school and it’s very sad to see that potentially coming to an end.”
Another reader, Tracey Donaldson, wrote: “At the time I entered secondary education you still had to do the 11 plus and I didn’t get a high enough grade to go to Mount Lourdes … I went to St. Fanchea’s and, I have to say, I loved it, most especially [because] we had brilliant staff, with great pastoral care … I think if I had have went to a grammar school I may have struggled … How would they ensure all pupils learning/academic needs were met if all [were] in one big massive school?”
Two facebook pages – Save St. Fanchea’s and Save St. Joseph’s – have gathered 2,000 followers since last week
Enniskillen man Benny Cassidy, a former St. Joseph’s student whose four sons also attended the school, set up the Save St. Joseph’s page.
He tells The Impartial Reporter: “I’ve no doubt that people are passionate about the school, but it’s important that we harness that energy and use it positively.”
A campaign to save the two schools “will not be won on emotion”, Mr. Cassidy warns. “We have to put back proper arguments based on what can be done to secure the same objectives [as CCMS]. We would need to work with St. Fanchea’s to create a campaign that provides a viable alternative, rather than just saying: ‘No’,” he suggests.
“There were a lot of people shocked by what they heard at the meeting,” Mr. Cassidy continues. “They didn’t know the extent of what was intended. CCMS admitted that they had not considered joining St. Fanchea’s and St. Joseph’s to make up the admissions numbers. CCMS also told us that ‘they understood’ that staff at St. Joseph’s and St. Fanchea’s would have to reapply for their jobs, while staff at Mount Lourdes and St. Michael’s would not.”
Mr. Cassidy advises locals to respond to the consultation, stating: “There have been many consultations in Fermnanagh recently where officials have been accused of using the consultation as a box-ticking exercise and have went ahead with the original proposal despite opposition, for example, the Western trust’s closure of Creamery House. We would like to think that, if there were meaningful objections put forward, they would be taken into consideration by CCMS.”
To respond to the CCMS consultation by 5pm on Monday, January 18, 2016, write to: CCMS, Area Planning Office, 160 High Street, Holywood, Co. Down, BT189HT, or email the relevant email address from the following list: consultation.stjosephscollege@ccmsschools.com, consultation.stfancheascollege@ccmsschools.com, mountlourdes@hotmail.com or saintmichaelsenniskillen@gmail.com.