‘Constructive’ meeting on Dean Maguirc enrolment

A ‘CONSTRUCTIVE’ meeting has been held over the enrolment cap at Dean Maguirc College.

On Thursday, Sinn Féin representatives, Órfhlaith Begley MP, Declan McAleer MLA and Cllr Anne Marie Fitzgerald (chairperson of Board of Governors) met with Education Minister Paul Givan as well as representatives from the Council For Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) and Dean Maguirc principal James Warnock.

The Department of Education recently refused an application by Dean Maguirc College to increase its annual enrolment from 80 to 100 students.

As a result, the Carrickmore school remains capped with an ‘Admissions Number’ of 80 and ‘Enrolment Number’ of 440.

Following the meeting Órfhlaith Begley said,

“We had a constructive meeting with the Education Minister and CCMS, on positively progressing forward to remove the enrolment cap placed on the Dean Maguirc College.

“We stressed that the Dean Maguirc is a thriving college at the heart of our rural mid Tyrone community. It has much to celebrate in terms of academic and sporting achievements.

“The actual enrolment figures have historically been in excess of their approved enrolment number. Currently there are over 640 pupils attending this all-ability school.

“Each year the Dean Maguirc has sought temporary variations to accommodate the continual high enrolment numbers.

The steady incline of numbers warrants the need for a review of the overall approved enrolment number.

Ahead of Thursday’s meeting, Ms Begley said that, as well as stepping up pressure to have the decision reversed, Sinn Féin will be using Pat Sheehan MLA’s role as deputy chair of the Stormont Education Committee in support of the campaign, after he recently visited the Carrickmore school.

Meanwhile, in a letter to the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, the Chief Executive of CCMS, Eve Bremner, advised that the cap decision was not a CCMS process. Therefore, any engagement in relation to the matter has to be with the Department and the school.