St. Michael’s College in Enniskillen is seeking a new principal, it has been announced.

The school has confirmed that Mr. Eugene McCullough, who has been absent for several months, has retired and the Board of Governors have commenced the process of replacing him.

In an advertisement placed in The Irish News, the school said it is looking for a leader who “clearly demonstrates a full commitment to the principles of Catholic education and a vision for the college which promotes and develops its Catholic ethos.”

As the debate on reforming secondary education in the voluntary maintained sector in Fermanagh rages, St. Michael’s Acting Principal Mark Henry has told The Impartial Reporter that the school is “fully engaged” in the review of post primary provision across the county.

He said the school seeks an outcome to the consultation “which commands widespread and significant support amongst all of the stakeholders in this process, and addresses the needs of all our young people in a cohesive and coherent way.”

“As things stand, St. Michael’s College continues to be an academically selective Diocesan Voluntary Grammar School, offering opportunities to boys from all of County Fermanagh and neighbouring parts of County Tyrone. In the meantime, St. Michael’s remains committed to co-operating and collaborating with the other schools in Fermanagh in a spirit of mutual support to deliver high quality education for all of the young people in the county,” he said.

Chairwoman of the Equality for St. Fanchea’s campaign group, Una Lilley, has called for the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) to publish its response to the consultation.

She said: “The CCMS Trustees ran a consultation on proposals they were bringing forward to close St Fanchea’s and St Joseph’s secondary schools and to expand both Mount Lourdes and St Michael’s College to ‘absorb’ the pupils left behind. While we welcomed their decision to end the regressive policy of segregating children at the age of eleven on the basis of their performance in an examination, there were very serious concerns raised about the equity of the CCMS approach.

“As a result of a strong campaign by the action group, parents and pupils at St Fanchea’s College took hours to engage extensively in the consultation on the proposals. At that point, the CCMS committed to consider submissions and revert with a response in either March or April. We are now almost in the mid of June and we have heard nothing only rumour. Those who took the time to engage so positively in this process deserve a response”.

“The CCMS Trustees must now clarify how they intend to build on their decision to end academic selection and bring forward the best possible educational model for all children regardless of academic ability,” she said.