MLA appeal over consultation on future of local schools

A WEST Tyrone MLA has urged local people to engage in ongoing consultations which are currently underway into the future of a number of local schools.
The Education Authority’s annual action plan for primary, post-primary and special schools was published last April and covers the period from then until March 2021. It sets out the programme of the planning and management authorities to address a range of specific issues at local level and there are currently 11 primary schools in West Tyrone named in the action plan.
In a response to a question from the SDLP’s Daniel McCrossan, the Minister for Education, Peter Weir, said that development proposals for Gillygooley PS, Dunmullan PS and St Eugene’s Lislap are currently at the pre-publication consultation stage. A consultation on an increase in admissions and enrolment numbers at Edwards PS in Castlederg is due to close at the end of this month.
A consultation on options for the future provision of education at Dromore PS and Queen Elizabeth PS is due to close in June, when a similar consultation on future provision at Drumlish, Tummery and St Dympna’s PS is also due to close. The consultations on options for the future provision at Drumduff PS near Sixmilecross and St Peter’s PS in Plumbridge are due to close in March. The Board of Governors of Omagh Integrated PS are consulting on the future pre-school provision there, with the consultation due to close in January 2021. Mr McCrossan said the closure or merger of smaller schools was ‘not the answer’.
“The Department should be looking at other revenue streams given the harsh impact these could have on rural communities,” he said.
“Rural towns and villages have already had banking services removed as well as a host of other public services. Removing local schools erodes what is left of our rural sense of community.
“I would encourage everyone to take part in the consultation process and outline their concerns.”