WORK to remove kitchen facilities before the end of term from a school due to be merged have been put on hold.
Parents of pupils at St Mark's PS in Twinbrook received letters telling them the school canteen would be shutting down and no hot meals could be provided for the rest of the year.
The work was due to take place ahead of the amalgamation of St Mark's with the nearby St Luke's PS.
The new school - Holy Evangelists PS - is due to open in September but parents have demanded that the merger be postponed until a promised new building is completed.
From September, both sets of children will be educated in the existing St Luke's building.
Parents expressed concern that work was being carried out on the St Mark's site while pupils were still in class.
It is understood that the Education Authority (EA) planned to remove kitchen facilities at the 380-pupil school. The 241 pupils who are entitled to free school meals were told they would instead receive a packed lunch at no charge.
Some parents also voiced concerns that the school's signage could come down ahead of the summer break.
An EA spokeswoman said the work on the canteen would now not take place.
"In light of concerns raised by parents and the school, the Education Authority has decided that school meals will be provided as normal through the school kitchen in St Mark's Primary School in the last week of term," she said.
"The Education Authority does not remove signage from schools until the building is vacated. Contractors attended St Mark's Primary School recently to provide a cost for the removal of signs over the summer."
