Scathing review of Omagh’s £340 million shared education campus

A SCATHING new independent review of education in the North has slammed the Strule Shared Education Campus as ‘unaffordable’, and recommended the ‘immediate ending’ of the pioneering project, prompting shock among local school principals and politicians.

The document was launched yesterday (Wednesday), and includes damning comments on the flagship Omagh education project. It recommends that £170 million due from the Department of Education for the new-build at the former Lisanelly Army barracks be relocated to other capital schemes.

The report also sharply criticises many of the positive impacts which it is hoped will come from the move of five local post-primary schools to the large site.

But, speaking to the UH, Arvalee School and Resource Centre principal, Jonathan Gray, said the focus on the Strule Campus was both ‘shocking and disappointing’.

So far, Arvalee is the only school to be built on the site, having opened there in September 2016. Under the plans for the campus, it is proposed that Omagh High School, Omagh Academy, Omagh Christian Brothers, Loreto Grammar and Sacred Heart College will also move to the site.

Mr Gray said, “What I want to see are the facts which come with the claims that this report is making about the potential impact or otherwise of the Strule Campus. Where is the evidence for how Strule will not be pioneering? It is already pioneering by having our Arvalee School included within the campus.

“Where is the evidence for saying that there won’t be sharing of education there? Because that is going to be a key part of what happens here.

“This report recommends withdrawing money to allocate to other capital projects.

“The children of Omagh must be treated equally to their counterparts elsewhere.”

Meanwhile, Christos Gaitatzis, principal of Omagh High School, said the schools needed to be ‘built yesterday, not today’.

He added that the fabric of local school buildings was unfit for purpose, and dated back to the Victorian and Elizabethan eras.

“If we want to ensure shared education, then the fact that all the schools are on the one site will enable that to take place. At the moment, it is impossible due to the distance for the schools to share their educational resources.

“Logistically, closer ties will be secured when the schools are at the Strule Campus,” he said.

“It is also important for the schools to keep their own identity. If Omagh High does not have that identity, then how can it share its ethos, culture and identity with other schools, such as Sacred Heart College?

“Omagh deserves the capital investment, which will come from the Strule Campus, because we have not had that for many, many years,” Mr Gaitatzis added.

West Tyrone MP, Órfhlaith Begley, of Sinn Féin said that they ‘completely rejected’ the recommendations.

“This is a ground-breaking project, with regional significance that will allow for state-of-the-art facilities.

“It will bring social, economic and educational benefits to our local community. There has already been substantial delays to this project and there is growing frustration locally.”

SDLP West Tyrone MLA, Daniel McCrossan, said he was ‘highly concerned’ at the suggestion that the Strule campus should not go ahead.

“This project has already been beset by far too many delays, and any suggestion that it should not go ahead as planned is deeply unhelpful. The re-allocation of this money is a non-starter, and the campus must be built as promised,” he said.

Sinn Féin West Tyrone MLA, Nicola Brogan, said she was greatly concerned that the review suggested axeing the Strule project as a ‘cost-saving’ measure.

“What we need to see is proper investment in education. We do not want this important project to be stalled, and Sinn Féin will continue to press for this to go ahead.”