Approval granted for Irish language unit at Carrickmore school

A NEW Irish Medium Unit at St Colmcille’s Primary School in Carrickmore has received approval from the Department for Education.

The nursery facility at the school will now come under the umbrella of the school, and will offer 26 part-time places for children. The new arrangement comes into effect from September 1 this year.

Back in 1999, the school governors made a commitment to explore the potential for Irish Medium provision as an integral part of the school, and in 2001 a Naíscoil was established by the school with eight children.

The Board of Governors has been working over the past ten years to secure the long-term future of the Naíscoil.

News of the approval has been welcomed by West Tyrone SDLP MLA, Daniel McCrossan.

“This is great news for the school and the people of Carrickmore, where there is strong demand for a statutory Naíscoil. I want to praise the tenacity of the school leadership team under Peter Cush, the Governors, Naíscoil committee and the committed Naíscoil staff and a strong school community spirit that has helped get this across the line,” he said.