Dean enrolment numbers and future plans discussed at Stormont

THE Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) has indicated that it is seeking to increase the admissions and enrolment numbers for the Dean Maguirc College in Carrickmore.

Details of plans to raise the number of pupils permitted to attend the post-primary school were outlined during a debate in the Stormont Assembly last week at which future plans for the college were discussed.

West Tyrone MLA, Declan McAleer, asked Education Minister, Paul Givan, for an udpate on his department’s capital investment plans.

The Minister said that the number of pupils at the school would be ‘key to informing’ a future major capital works project at the school.

“CCMS seeks to increase the approved admissions and enrolemt numbers – currently 80 and 440 in total – through the development proposal process,” Mr Givan added.

“When that works its way through, it will come to me for a decision. In the interim, the school can continue to request additional places on an annual basis, through the temporary variation process untl the DP (Development Proposal) is brought forward and a decision can be taken.”

Mr McAleer said that the actual number of pupils at the school is currently 678.

A meeting between the MP, Orfhlaith Begley, the CCMS and Mr McAleer took place in May of this year.

The Minister has said that plans for a major capital project at the Dean are currently on hold. He told the Assembly that this was due to budget constraints and ‘the need to prioritise capital works for special educational needs placements’.

“Dean Maguirc College was one of 28 schools included in the announcement on the major capital works programme in March 2022. Due to the extremely challenging capital budget, all those projects were put on hold in April 2023,” the Minister said.

The school has been campaigning for a new build for a number of years. A substantial number of pupils are currently being educated in mobile classrooms.