CATHOLIC schools in west Belfast are facing a massive shake-up which will see at least three names disappear.
Parents and staff in four of the area's six non-grammar schools have been told of the reorganisation plans.
The proposals, if approved, will see three single-sex post-primary schools merged to form one new 1,500-pupil college.
In addition, St Louise's Comprehensive College, once the largest school for girls in Europe, will admit boys.
The plans are at an early stage although it is hoped the new arrangements will be in place by 2018.
The development comes as two leading Catholic grammar schools in Omagh have been told they can proceed with a plan to end 11-plus tests.
Details presented to west Belfast parents included an amalgamation involving St Rose's Dominican College for girls and Corpus Christi College and Christian Brothers' School (CBS) for boys.
Grammar schools and two other non-grammars - De La Salle and St Genevieve's - will be unaffected.
They are the latest plans brought forward by Catholic education chiefs in response to the Northern Ireland-wide area-based planning exercise. There are concerns that the north has too many schools and not enough pupils.
Similar schemes are already being progressed in north Belfast, but again these do not involve grammar schools.
According to the Education Authority, Corpus Christi admitted just 15 new Year 8 pupils this year while CBS and St Rose's welcomed 67 and 18.
There were about 1,150 pupils in the three schools combined last year and numbers have been falling at each since 2010.
CBS has been through a similar process once before. Two years ago, it was proposed that it and St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar School come together to create a single 11-19 non-selective, post-primary. That plan was abandoned, however, when St Mary's opted to retain selection.
Corpus Christi was created in 1988 through the merger of St Thomas's, St Peter's, St Paul's and Gort Na Mona schools.
The proposal for St Louise's to admit boys was first included in the Catholic Education for All review, published in 2012.
At that time, the school welcomed this as an "opportunity to continue to provide high-quality education to all young people in our community irrespective of gender, race, religious affiliation or social background".
The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) confirmed on Tuesday night that a consultation exercise in west Belfast had begun.
"CCMS is consulting with the schools, governors, staff and parents and will be holding meetings with them," a spokeswoman said.
