PARENTS of children attending the only school in the district earmarked for closure following a major review of primary education have vowed to fight the move.
A special meeting was held at St. Patrick’s Primary in Burrenreagh last Tuesday night to draw up an action plan to vigorously challenge the closure proposal, with a second meeting being held tonight.
Parents are angry that the rural school is the only one of the district’s 49 primaries recommended for closure and aim to channel their anger into doing everything they can to keep the doors open.
They are also demanding an explanation why schools which have fewer pupils than St. Patrick’s have not been recommended for closure, with the door left open for them to merge with neighbouring primaries.
St. Patrick’s principal, Mr. James Hunt, said everyone associated with the school is “heartened and encouraged” at the positive response from the local community in the wake of the closure proposal announcement.
He said parents, grandparents, former pupils and local people have contacted the school offering to help in any way they can. Mr. Hunt said there is cross-community support for St. Patrick’s remaining open which he described as “tremendously encouraging.”
Mrs. Siobhan Rice, chairwoman of the Burrenreagh school’s Parents’ Support Group, said parents and everyone who supports the school have been asked to make the most of the consultation into the proposed closure.
“The parents are determined to fight this proposal and the consultation which has been launched by the Department of Education offers everyone who supports St. Patrick’s an opportunity to make their views known,” she continued.
Mrs. Rice said an action plan is being drawn up to oppose the closure proposal and that parents will be assigned a number of tasks, including compiling a petition to be sent to Education Minister, John O’Dowd.
“The Minister has said he wants to listen to what parents have to say and we plan to take him up on that. We cannot understand why St. Patrick’s is the only school in Down District which has been earmarked for closure,” she declared.
“We don’t understand why we have been singled out. We have not been given the option of merging with a neighbouring school, an opportunity which has been offered to many other primary schools. Why has St. Patrick’s been excluded from any possible merger?”
Mrs. Rice said parents, many of whom are former pupils at the Burrenreagh school, intend to put forward the strongest possible case for keeping the doors open and confirmed they are seeking a meeting with local politicians to discuss their concerns.
Mrs. Rice said school staff are encouraged at the community’s response to the proposed closure and hope the recommendation can be overturned.
She added: “Our campaign to oppose the closure of St. Patrick’s will be a real community effort and the support we have received to date is extremely encouraging. We are all going to stick together on this issue.”