EIGHT teachers at Devenish College in Enniskillen are to be made redundant just two years after the school’s controversial amalgamation with Lisnaskea High School.

Mr. Alex Baird, Chairman of the Board of Governors at Devenish College and an Ulster Unionist Councillor, has told The Impartial Reporter that “there is now a need to rationalise.” He said every effort will be made to facilitate voluntary and transferred redundancies and explained that such reductions are necessary “in order to live within budget.” “Unfortunately this means a reduction in teacher posts from the current 40.2 full time equivalent to 32,” said Mr. Baird, adding that following the merger between Devenish and Lisnaskea a school reorganisation agreement was introduced which protected teachers’ jobs for two years.

Stormont Minister and DUP MLA Arlene Foster has spoken out to highlight the concerns of Devenish staff and parents of pupils whom she says are “worried” about the development.

“I have spoken with worried parents and teachers who cannot understand where the vision is for post-primary education in Fermanagh. With the upheaval which the education minister visited on Fermanagh with the closure of Lisnaskea High school and the proposed closure of the Collegiate and Portora, it now appears Devenish college is downsizing.

“I call on the chairman, Alex Baird and the Board of Governors of Devenish College to explain in detail why they have decided to go down this road at this time,” she said.

Minister Foster has this week written to Mr. Baird and the Board requesting an urgent meeting.

In 2012, seven members of staff at Devenish College were facing redundancy. At the time, Mr. Baird blamed the decision on “falling income and increased running costs.” Then in 2013, the school’s projected deficit of £1 million was wiped out when it closed and re-opened taking in Lisnaskea High School pupils as a “new amalgamated post-primary school”.

UUP Councillor Raymond Farrell, Mr. Baird’s colleague, has spoken of his dismay at hearing the news of the latest job losses at the school.

“I worry about the impact that this will have on children, teachers and the Fermanagh economy. It is deeply frustrating and I am at the point of despair at how our schools are being managed.

“The staff at Devenish have had to endure an awful lot of uncertainty over a long number of years; the issue of a new build which I am continually looking for progress on, the amalgamation in terms of Lisnaskea and the change that brought to pupils and teaching staff,” he said.

There was some positive news last year when Devenish College was finally given approval for design work on a new £23m school on the Tempo Road in Enniskillen. However, according to Mr. Farrell, it has done little to improve morale at the school.

“Teachers are professional and focused and there is an onus on the Department to show them the same level of respect as they show to their pupils. I sense there are staff who feel discouraged.” The current principal of Devenish College, Mr. Mervyn Walker, intends to step down. Back in February, his job was advertised, seeking candidates to take up the post from September 1 and attracting a salary from £63,439 to £73,480 per annum.

Mr. Farrell said: “As you are aware, there is a vacancy for a new headmaster. I think it would be important that we get someone who has drive, a passion for Devenish and a passion to see this new school built and wants to see progress in every area of the school estate.

“I sense anger at the way Devenish College is being treated by everybody. I think the current leadership has been in a difficult position and probably did not receive the level of support that they should have and commitments were not honoured. This is a new chapter and the new headmaster, I hope, will be someone who is focused on seeing this new school happen,” he said.

Meanwhile, The Impartial Reporter has learned that South West College, which has a campus in Enniskillen, is to have its budget cut by 2.1 per cent.

The Department of Employment’s provisional budget for the next year, details of which have been seen by this newspaper, states that the college is required to contribute £367,000 to the overall cut of £6m for the six colleges in Northern Ireland. The savings will include a £58,194 decrease in essential skills funding, a £128,675 decrease in recreational funding and a £139,666 decrease in funding to ‘miscellaneous delivery as decided by the college’.

In an e-mail to staff, Mr. Malachy McAleer, Director of South West College, said: “The Department (DEL) has used curriculum delivery past performance to calculate the level of budget cuts applicable to each college. Therefore, our low budget cut is a reflection of the good SWC curriculum performance.”