NI rural communities 'under attack' as schools' futures are put in jeopardy, says Ballymoney teacher

Louise Creelman, former President of the Ulster Teachers’ Union and principal of Lislagan Primary in Ballymoney, was speaking following a decision to withdraw a proposal this week to close a school in Co Tyrone.

“That St Mary’s Primary in Fivemiletown is to continue is indeed great news for education here in Northern Ireland, however, too many others remain under threat,” she said.

“I am currently principal of a school with 110 pupils and I can’t over-emphasise how important schools like ours are in small rural communities where they often provide a hub and focal point for those communities. Take away the school and you could be threatening the very future of those communities.

“With a smaller school like our own we’re in the privileged position of being able to get to know our parents and pupils very well and our children receive a well-rounded education with excellent after-schools and pastoral care provision, comparable to any other primary school.

“Indeed the fact that St Mary’s is to be saved is recognition of the fine work being carried out in the school – and which is being carried out in other small schools across Northern Ireland.

“However, more than that, when a school is facing closure provision must be found for its pupils elsewhere in the area, placing further pressure on schools there in terms of increasing class sizes.

“Some children are more suited to smaller class sizes. As a family we have actually recently moved two of our children to a school with under 100 pupils and they are thriving there, because of the smaller class sizes which suits them so much better.

“Similarly, such smaller schools are often very well placed to help and support children with special educational needs and we are only too aware of the critical lack of provision for SEN elsewhere in the system.

“We appreciate that difficult decisions may have to be made but we fear the Department of Education’s current funding policies through its Area Planning system leave little latitude for decisions on the future of schools to be made on a case by case basis.