The principal of a Fermanagh school which has seen funding from the Department of Education’s (DOE) Extended School Programme cut by 75 per cent has said the cuts will cause irreparable damage and leave children missing out on a wide range of activities.

St. Paul’s Primary School, Irvinestown, received £20,303 in the 2022/23 year, but for 2023/24 they will only receive £5,139 in funding until the end of June, 2023.

The Extended Schools Programme aims to improve levels of educational achievement for disadvantaged children and young people by providing the additional support that they might need to help them reach their full potential.

Schools across Fermanagh are affected by the cut to this programme.

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St. Paul’s principal, Anne Molloy, (inset) explained how pupils had benefitted from the Extended Schools Programme for the past 17 years.

“Irvinestown is an area of social deprivation, and all three schools have a very high percentage of children on Free School Meals.

“We were very disappointed when both the Happy Healthy Minds and the Engage Programmes were withdrawn at very short notice, but the withdrawal of the Extended Schools Programme is the last straw.

“Schools are still feeling the effects of Covid-19, in terms of children catching up. Extended Schools funding has played a huge role in enabling us to provide additional lessons in phonics, maths, and reading recovery.

“We have also been able to employ an extra teacher, part-time, to teach small groups and help our children with additional learning needs.

“We can see the valuable effect these extra lessons are having, but to cut it off now will leave children missing out.

“The cuts will cause irreparable damage. Early intervention has proved to be very successful.”

The Extended School money was also used to provide a wide range of afterschool activities, said Mrs. Molloy, which the majority of parents could not afford. This included Drama, Music, French, Literacy, Outdoor Learning, Phonics, Sports and many other activities.

“The Extended Schools funding also contributed towards subsidising the cost of morning clubs and afternoon clubs to help working parents,” explained Mrs. Molloy.

“We will now most likely have to raise the cost to parents in order to continue to provide this service. With the current cost of living crisis, this will not be welcome news to many households already struggling.”

The school also works very closely with local organisations such as the ARC Healthy Centre to ensure the best for their children, but Mrs. Molloy said many of their services are also being cut.

“In particular, as is the case with any cuts, the people most affected will be the most vulnerable in society. Children who will most feel the loss are our most vulnerable children.

“It is not just academically that our children have suffered over the past few years. We have seen a huge rise in children with mental health problems.

“These services are so difficult to access in the community, with long waiting lists. For the past 17 years we have been able to provide an in-house professional counsellor to help these children.

“It will be heartbreaking to have to tell parents that there is very little we can now do for these children.”

While some money has been allocated until June, Mrs. Molloy said they will have to plan on the basis that no further funding will be available after June 30.

“This will have a detrimental effect on our school community, and on all of the schools who were funded by Extended Schools.”

In the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area, schools received £551,040 of funding from the Extended Schools Programme in 2022/23 – but for 2023/24, this funding will fall sharply, to £128,130.