Need for 'innovative rural solutions'

Editorial Department • Published 16 Feb 2012 13:00 0 Comments

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The Fermanagh Trust which has been pioneering shared education models for schools in Fermanagh for several years, says the initiative can be taken further in light of the recommendations contained in this week's Northern Ireland Council for Catholic Education.

Reacting to the Catholic Post Primary Review, they say opportunities now exist for local communities, the Catholic Church leadership, the Controlled Sector, the Western Education and Library Board, and CCMS to explore "innovative, rural solutions" which would include cross community, shared education options through the Area Planning Process.

"Shared education threatens no ethos or identity and instead secures all of these while providing the means for delivering the changes to education that are needed.

Mr. Lauri McCusker, Director of Fermanagh Trust said: "The potential implications of the implementation of this document is huge for the future of Co. Fermanagh. Education is at the centre of many people's lives and the implementation of this document is we do not maintain the school communities in rural areas is that we will see 3,300 young people being educated in post primary schools in Enniskillen and 800 in south-east Fermanagh.

"Our concern is that the whole process has not been rural proofed and as a result implications will be huge for rural communities in the county," he said.

The Trust warns of increasing urbanisation of education which could affect future generations and could result in "de-population" of rural areas as people will decide where they live on the proximity of schools for their children.

The Trust says there are some positives in the report, not least the fact that through the proposal amalgamation of the three existing schools in south-east Fermanagh, St. Aidan's High School, Derrylin; St. Comhghall's College, Lisnaskea and St. Eugene's High School, Rosslea, into one school with possible provision on two sites, there is great potential for collaboration with Lisnaskea High School.

"This would maintain education provision for all communities in South-East Fermanagh and the provision of a split site offers the communities the opportunities to put forward some interesting models of provision in the area," the Trust states.

However they say there is also potential for a cross-Border educational arrangement to facilitate families in North Fermanagh who face the imminent closure of St. Mary's High School, Brollagh.

"In light of the Education Joint Communique from the North South Ministerial Council issued on February 1 by the Minister for Education, John O'Dowd and his counter-part in the Republic, Ruairi Quinn, is there an innovative cross-border solution to meeting the education needs of young people in North West Fermanagh which doesn't include bussing young people up to 30 miles to school?" the Fermanagh Trust asks, noting that Ballyshannon offered an alternative to some families, just a few miles down the road.

The Education Ministers who were joined by Nelson McCausland, Minister for Social Development at the North South Council, discussed how some parents, who so wished, might send their children to schools on the other side of the Border and they have now commissioned a joint survey to to a more detailed picture of cross-border pupil movement and school planning. An interim report on the survey will be presented at the next North South Education Council meeting in March with proposals for the way forward to be considered no later than 2013.

This week, the Traditional Unionist Voice MLA, Jim Allister, strongly criticised cross-border education ideas, saying: "I have grave concerns about this development as Northern Ireland's tax payers could well end up paying for the education of children from the Irish Republic. Additionally, the infrastructure of our education system could be fixed to accommodate not the needs of pupils from Northern Ireland but pupils on either side of the border. Under a Sinn Fein Minister it would be no surprise to me to see schools sited to facilitate southern enrolment."

Concluding, the Fermanagh Trust said, "Shared Education is not a new initiative, but one that has been tried and tested. We urge all sectors and people of influence to put children first and see Shared Education as part of the solution to the pressing needs of the education estate and system in this part of Fermanagh."

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 16 Feb 12

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