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Closures will radically alter Catholic schools map

Little Flower Girls School North Belfast. Picture by Hugh Russell.
Little Flower Girls School North Belfast. Picture by Hugh Russell. Little Flower Girls School North Belfast. Picture by Hugh Russell.

A series of closures and mergers, which will radically alter the Catholic schools map, are due to be approved in the new year.

Education minister John O'Dowd is considering proposals relating to 13 different Catholic schools, which will see up to nine of them shut.

This year, the minister approved six schools for closure or amalgamation - all but one of them in the Catholic sector.

When he returns to the Department of Education in 2016, he is expected to make decisions on nursery, primary and post-primary schools.

Schools on the north coast have been waiting since July to learn if a plan to shut down St Joseph's, expand Loreto College in Coleraine and end selection and expand Dominican College Portstewart will win approval.

St James' PS near Markethill and Evish PS near Strabane have both been earmarked for closure while it has been proposed that Holy Family Nursery in north Belfast shut and a new nursery unit open in its place at Holy Family PS.

In Portadown, a plan has been published, which if approved would see Drumcree College closed and replaced by a new junior high.

The latest plans also involve Little Flower Girls School and St Patrick's College Bearnageeha in north Belfast being "discontinued" with a view to facilitating the establishment of a new Catholic 11-19 co-educational post-primary. In addition, Edmund Rice College and Mercy College will expand and become co-educational.

Mr O'Dowd is also due to make a decision on a proposed 650-pupil school for Lisnaskea, which will replace St Comhghall's in the town and St Eugene's in nearby Roslea. The plan is described as "in effect an amalgamation".

Since devolution was restored in 2007, consecutive Sinn Féin ministers have approved 120 schools for amalgamation or closure. A total of 57 of these were Catholic maintained while 43 were state controlled. A further seven proposals concerned voluntary providers - a mixture of prep schools and Catholic grammars. Smaller numbers of special (six), Irish-medium (four) and integrated (three) schools have been closed in that time.

Meanwhile, the Lisnaskea-based South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF), has said it is looking forward to breathing new life into the site of a former school.

Mr O'Dowd agreed to release a portion of the site of the former Lisnaskea High School to accommodate Bunscoil an Traonaigh while offering SEFF an opportunity to acquire the remainder.

"SEFF and its community and economic partners are pleased that the Department of Education has publicly confirmed its support for our vision and the community's desire to breathe new life into that site," said chairman Eric Brown.

"The closure of Lisnaskea High School was a great blow to the local community. SEFF and other community and economic partners have long since had a close association with the former Lisnaskea High School site and our plans for the site will renew and will help rebuild the community and economic life of the South Fermanagh Region which has suffered substantial hardship over the years of the Troubles."