Dear Madam, - It was with deep disappointment that I read in the paper recently that Minister O’Dowd had saved the High School in Brollagh. Although it wasn’t because he saved the school, I am very pleased for them. It was the fact that he had not given us in Lisnaskea High School the same chance to explore the shared model which had been put forward for it.

In this time of shared future and shared space which has been promoted by a lot of our politicians this would have been an ideal exploration of this model.

I also read with interest to what a reader had written in your paper last week, about the fact that Brollagh and Lisnaskea situations were different. To us in Lisnaskea it was very similar. Brollagh is I believe 20 miles plus from Enniskillen. Some of the children in the border area that went to Lisnaskea are also that distance from the schools they now have to go to. In this time of relevant peace I believe this model was the way to proceed for the next generation, to teach them to show mutal respect to each other’s cultures and their everyday life. What they would learn is not as different as they think. The fact was that Lisnaskea was already with the CCMS schools in the area exploring this, on a yet smaller scale but still enough to make a difference.

I also read that Minister Foster said that this decision was a sectarian one, when one was allowed to stay open and the other was closed. I also read Minister O’Dowd’s response to this statement with interest. I as someone who was involved in the Lisnaskea campaign fully understands and knew what went on during this time. In response to both the Ministers’ responses about this, both are right. Brollagh had full support from everyone involved in the school, while Lisnaskea had those at the top that totally let us down, only they know why they did this fully. They should think very hard, what has changed by Lisnaskea closing. There is still no big announcement of a new school for Devenish. A good building lies empty, one that should still have been used for educating the children of the area. There seemed to have been no vision for the good of the whole community of Lisnaskea and the good relations that could have been formed by the shared model.

It was funny that some of those who supported the merger this time, had in other times fought tooth and nail to keep it open before. What had changed, or who had changed their minds. That’s something I would love to know.

I would like to wish Brollagh well, as they continue the hard work for their school. I would also ask Minister O’Dowd to be fair to all schools when he makes such big decisions for their future and listen to the people it will affect. They are the ones who have to live day by day with them. As for Lisnaskea, the decision was wrong I believe. It was a missed opportunity for an area that deserved a break, and for something good to happen. To say it was too late to explore the shared model was an excuse. I and others believed it could have worked and were there to help and see it worked.

Yours faithfully Member of Lisnaskea Action Group