A PLAN to shut three rural Catholic schools and open a new one in their place, has been turned down.
Education minister Peter Weir rejected a proposal to re-configure Catholic primary provision in the Dunamanagh area of north Tyrone.
The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) wanted to "discontinue" Altishane, Loughash and St Patrick's Primary Schools.
It proposed to then open a new Catholic co-educational school to serve the area.
A fourth small rural school in close proximity - St Joseph’s PS, Glenmornan - opted out of the plan.
In their advice to the minister, Department of Education officials agreed that the schools all had sustainability issues.
Of common concern, the advice read, were issues surrounding the educating of small numbers of pupils in more than two composite classes and "enrolments that persistently fall well below sustainable levels".
The area solution brought forward by CCMS after a considerable period of development and refinement following consultation at a formative stage did go some way towards addressing these issues.
However, officials concluded it would not result in the formation of a sustainable school, which should have a minimum 105 pupils for a rural primary.
The cumulative enrolment of the three amalgamating schools was 87 pupils in 2015/16 "which is significantly below the sustainability threshold".
"Achieving an enrolment of 105 will require not only the realisation of a projected increase in birth rate locally, but also realisation of an assumption that all pupils currently attending schools where closure is proposed would transfer to the new amalgamated school," officials said.
"Had it proved possible to reach agreement on inclusion of St Joseph's PS as part of an area solution as originally proposed by CCMS that would undoubtedly have strengthened the case for change.
"However, the omission of St Joseph's PS following consultation feedback on an area solution renders this scaled down set of proposals ineffective in their aim to establish a sustainable school."
Mr Weir said children in the Dunamanagh area of north Tyrone deserved access to an educationally sustainable and financially viable primary school capable of delivering a high-quality educational experience.
"My decision to refer this matter back to the planning authorities reflects the bringing forward of a set of proposals that would not in my view deliver a fully sustainable area solution. I would encourage schools to work with the planning authorities to agree sustainable and viable education provision for the good of all pupils in an area," he said.
