Rural school seeking integrated status to avoid closure

A SMALL rural school facing closure due to low enrolment numbers is seeking support for an innovative step forward in its battle for survival.

Last month, the Board of Governors at St Eugene’s, Tircur near Omagh vowed to fight the proposed closure, which is being forwarded by the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS). But now the school is beginning a consultation process on the historic plan to also accept pupils from other faiths.

If successful, St Eugene’s could become just the second Catholic school in the North to secure integrated status.

Chairman of the Board of Governors at the school, Shane Kerlin, said the school’s community were supportive of the area.

“We have been speaking with parents and many in the local area who are bouyed up by the need for rural education. That is what people want in this locality, rather than having to travel to a large school in the town,” he said.

“People want the local school in their community. They see the school as an important hub for connecting with those in the area and that task of building friendships is really important for people. The school is delighted at the progress which has been made to date. There are more than enough children in this area to sustain a school and if we achieve Integrated Status then there is no doubt that people will buy into that. People want quality of education and the results achieved by St Eugene’s are excellent.”

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC) is to write to the Department for Education, urging them to pause the consultation. The council discussed the situation facing the school at a meeting last week.

Omagh town Sinn Fein councillor, Barry McElduff, claimed it was an “anomaly” to describe the proposals as development as they were “anything but.”

Independent councillor, Josephine Deehan, said the Department for Education seemed intent on “totally eradicating” all rural schools.