Education Authority roles for clergyman and former principal

THE former principal of St Patrick’s College in Dungannon and a retired minister of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Omagh have been appointed to the Board of the Education Authority (EA).

Last Thursday, the Northern Ireland Executive announced that Patricia Carville and Rev Robert Herron were among 12 new appointees to the new EA board.

Mrs Carville, who has been a governor over many primary and secondary schools, has been nominated by the Northern Ireland Commission for Catholic Education to represent the interests of trustees of maintained schools.

The former St Patrick’s College principal has been a member of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools for over 29 years and was first appointed to the EA board in April 2015.

Rev Herron, who retired last year from his ministry at Trinity church, was nominated by the Transferor Representatives’ Council to represent the interests of transferors of controlled schools.

The respected cleric is a member of the Strule Main Campus Project 2 Board and the Managing Authorities Liaison Group, alongside also being an EA board member since 2015.

Education Minister Paul Givan said the new member’s skills will be ‘invaluable’ in tackling issues facing the education sector.

“I am pleased to appoint these 12 members to the Board of the Education Authority. The education sector and the EA are facing unprecedented challenges and the appointment of these members, each with their own expertise and skills, will prove invaluable in taking forward a programme of transformation to address these issues,” Mr Givan said.

“I would like to thank the outgoing members for their work and contribution to the Board during their tenure and wish the new appointees all success in the years ahead.”