PARENTS and pupils fighting the closure of a successful girls' school have staged a protest.
Education minister John O'Dowd has approved proposals affecting four Catholic maintained schools in north Belfast.
Little Flower for girls and St Patrick's, Bearnageeha for boys will be "discontinued" to facilitate the establishment of a new Catholic 11-19 co-educational post-primary school.
Edmund Rice and Mercy Colleges will both expand and become co-educational schools, each with up to 750 pupils.
Teachers and parents are concerned about aspects of the plan, which now mean children can only receive a single-sex education in the Catholic sector if they go to a grammar school.
Parents of current and potential future Little Flower pupils have been fighting the proposals, which will take effect from September 1 2017.
A short protest took place on Tuesday night at Somerton Road and stretched from the school to nearby Lisbreen House, the residence of the Bishop of Down and Connor, Noel Treanor.
A letter to Bishop Treanor was read aloud.
In it, parents claimed the decision to close was influenced by outdated information and there had not been proper and adequate consultation to include prospective parents.
"As concerned parents we are asking for equality and choice in north Belfast as provided by the state sector run schools.
"If the CCMS (Council for Catholic Maintained Schools) cannot provide us with this, we are asking for our school to be handed over to state control."
