Minister to propose enrolment increase at Dean Maguirc College

EDUCATION Minister, Paul Givan, has confirmed that a development proposal will be brought forward to secure a permanent increase in the enrolment figures permitted for the Dean Maguirc College in Carrickmore.

There have been concerns in recent weeks about the numbers of pupils allowed to enter the school on a yearly basis, with both the Board of Governors and the school calling for an increase.

Last week, the Education Minister said that the Dean had initially been identified as meeting the criteria for a ‘normalisation’ pilot process in March.

This process was designed to ‘normalise’ approved admissions and enrolment numbers in schools where there was evidence demonstrating an historical pattern of enrolment in excess of a school’s approved numbers.

But Mr Givan added that, while the Carrickmore school was initially identified as meeting the criteria, it was not subsequently included.

Now, the Minister has said that it is his understanding that the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) has indicated that it will bring forward a Development Proposal (DP) to seek to increase the admissions and enrolment numbers at Dean Maguirc, and will work with the school to bring this forward in due course.

Mr Givan added, “In the meantime, the school can continue to request additional places on an annual basis through the Temporary Variation process, until a DP is brought forward and decided upon.”

West Tyrone SDLP MLA, Daniel McCrossan, welcomed the confirmation as ‘good news and definite progress’.

Mr McCrossan said, “The college and local people couldn’t understand why the college had to go through an annual application for temporary increases in numbers.

“This is an excellent college and well-supported in Carrickmore. Hopefully this will allow it to go from strength-to-strength.”

Recently, Dean Maguirc principal James Warnock, chair of its Board of Governors Anne Marie Fitzgerald, West Tyrone Sinn Fein MP, Orfhlaith Begley and MLA, Declan McAleer, met with the Minister over the enrolment issue. They described the meeting as ‘constructive’.