PARENTS of Collegiate Grammar School have accused Western Education Library Board (WELB) officials of hiding their personal vested interest in a proposal that would see the school merge with Portora Royal next year.

Speaking to the Impartial Reporter this week following the school’s consultation with WELB officers, irate parents say members of the supposedly impartial WELB panel were seen at Portora’s consultation meeting two weeks ago, “agreeing” with comments made in favour of the amalgamation.

They have accused the panel of: -providing “inaccurate” figures and statistics in relation to the Collegiate’s overall performance -of holding meetings with the Fermanagh Protestant Board of Education behind closed doors -of being “disrespectful and unprofessional” towards the school’s principal, Elizabeth Armstrong -of refusing to listen to their concerns in relation to the future of their children’s education in the County -and of causing the “mess” that has left Devenish College without it’s new build, 10 years after the school was formed.

Last Wednesday’s meeting in the school’s assembly hall lasted until 2.30am as parents repeatedly challenged the points and presentations made by WELB’s chosen panel officials.

Maguiresbridge mum, Audrey Watson was one of the parents in the audience last week.

“I stuck it out until 2am -- until I couldn’t physically take any more of their twaddle,” she tells the Impartial Reporter, “We were disappointed by the way we were treated, disgusted by the way Miss Armstrong was spoken to. They were just there to tell us what was going to happen to the school. “The panel should have been impartial, but we learned at the meeting that one of the female members had also been to the Portora meeting and was seen there agreeing with everything that was being said. One of the parents asked her about it and she was shocked when someone had realised she was there.” Mrs Watson said the revelations had left her with no confidence in the process.

“They weren’t prepared for the level of questioning they got and I don’t think they realise the level of responsibility they have over this -- they have to take back to WELB the feelings and atmosphere of the room on the night -- that feedback influences what happens next.

“I’m sure when they left last Wednesday night there were in no doubt about how we all felt. But I feel they have their own agenda in all of this, I just don’t know what that is.

“I just came away from the meeting feeling more frustrated than anything. The will is there to fight this to the bitter end. The panel is supposed to take feedback to the WELB on the meeting but how can you bring feedback back to someone on a meeting which lasted over four hours?” Another mother from Clogher Valley says she fears WELB’s attitude towards the process will “cause a split right through the community”.

“We fall under the Southern Education Library Board area but I chose to send my daughter to the Collegiate because of its reputation and because I wanted her to attend an all-girl’s grammar school. That parental choice would be taken away if the school was closed.” Explaining that her work is based in community relations, the mother added she was shocked by the attitude of the WELB panel on the night.

“They weren’t listening to one word that was being said in that room -- it was very frustrating. It it seemed to me that it was their way or no way and their attitude towards Miss Armstrong was very condescending. In the end people started to leave the meeting because they felt ‘what’s the point?’.

“The meeting was very badly dealt with and was a complete disgrace.” An Enniskillen mother meanwhile who has a son and daughter attending both affected schools, has accused WELB of using “inaccurate” figures and statistics to put forward their argument for change.

“One of the male members of the panel was asked to apologise to Miss Armstrong after he insulted her but he would not. At that stage a lot of the parents had had enough, stood up and walked out.

“In their presentation they were trying to say that Collegiate only offered 24 subjects for post-16 level.

“But when Miss Armstrong corrected them and said it was actually 27, he was incredibly rude to her.

“They were twisting the reality on a number of occasions in their presentation and I felt if they were to deliver something to us they didn’t deliver it very well. They didn’t do their homework at all. They had no answers for many of the questions that were posed to them throughout the night and I left feeling I was no further forward.

“It may be a case that amalgamating the two schools is the right way forward, but I am none the wiser from that meeting at all. I’m certainly not convinced.

“The debate around out house at the moment is about nothing but this Collegiate and Portora closure. Neither my son or daughter want it.

“Anyone reading up on it would think ‘why close a school that is doing so well?’ That applies to Portora as well as the Collegiate.” The concerned mother said many of the parents at the meeting had raised the issue of Devenish College with the panel.

“A lot of parents were telling them the Devenish mess hasn’t been sorted out yet. If it is not sorted, what kind of promises can be given to the parents of Portora and the Collegiate? They told the panel: ‘sort that out before you create another mess here’.

“There is no doubt that at the very least, the Collegiate needs an extension and Portora needs a new school -- Portora can’t even use their gym -- it is condemned. But I’m not convinced closing both schools is the right option.

“I just have this image of school pupils tramping across town to get between classes. How on earth would it work?

“There needs to be more transparency and more information about this in order for parents to be able to make a better decision,” she added.