Northern Ireland

Four primary schools could close as part of proposed shake-up of Catholic education

The plan, if approved, will see four schools in north Tyrone merged into one
The plan, if approved, will see four schools in north Tyrone merged into one The plan, if approved, will see four schools in north Tyrone merged into one
By Simon Doyle

FOUR small primary schools are to be shut down as part of a proposed shake-up of Catholic education.

There are plans to bring together four Catholic maintained schools serving the area of Dunamanagh/Leckpatrick, in north Tyrone.

Altishane PS, Loughash PS, St Patrick's PS and St Joseph's PS will amalgamate to form a new 133 pupil Catholic primary school from September 2019.

The proposal will "in effect require the closure of the four schools".

A case for change document prepared by the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) shows there are just 16 pupils at Altishane and fewer than 40 in each of the other three.

CCMS said the rationale for focusing upon the four primary schools was twofold.

Firstly, low pupil numbers meant no school would achieve the minimum long-term enrolment recommended in the Schools for the Future document of 105 for rural schools.

In addition, there "is a need for some level of rationalisation in the area".

The schools have 127 pupils between them
The schools have 127 pupils between them The schools have 127 pupils between them

All four have composite classes with more than three year groups within the same classroom.

CCMS said St Patrick's in Dunamanagh was "the only suitable site capable of hosting the newly amalgamated school in the interim period should the development proposal be approved".

The total number of pupils within the four schools is 127 while there are 155 empty desks.

"As the current school population continues to contract, there is likely to be further financial pressure in order to ensure that the individual school's budgets are balanced," CCMS said.

"This may cause additional difficulties to those staff remaining in post as they may be required to assume additional responsibilities."

While the birth rate growth for the Derry City and Strabane District Council area shows a 6 per cent reduction from 2013-2017, there is a growth of approximately 3 per cent in births projected for the ward in the Dunamanagh area.

CCMS said if a 3 per cent growth was applied, this would result in a figure of 131 pupils.

"The most educationally sound number to apply to the school is an admissions number of 19 and an enrolment number of 133, which is a five class based school," the case for change stated.

"The schools are located within a five mile radius of each other. They are accessible to the rural communities they serve. However these individual communities are small. If an amalgamation is secured the St Patrick's PS site will be used in the short term with a view to submitting a proposal for a new school."