A councillor has slammed the Education Authority for their "treatment" of staff, parents and children regarding the potential closure of a primary school in Derry.
Aontú councillor Emmet Doyle said during a meeting of the Derry City and Strabane District Council's Audit Committee that the Education Authority's handling of a pre-consultation held between May and June 2022 over the Ballougry Primary School's closure was "just not on".
It's understood that the Education Authority sought to engage with parents over zoom over the school's potential closure and the pre-consultation.
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The Education Authority has proposed to discontinue the primary school with effect from August 31, 2023. The threatened closure is as a result of a sharp reduction in enrolment numbers between 2015 and 2021.
In 2015, the primary school had a total of 79 pupils, while in 2021 the school had only 44 enrolments - with only one pupil enrolling in year three.
The Sustainable Schools Policy has set 105 as a minimum enrolment for sustainability, according to the Education Authority.
In the pre-consultation report, the EA said that low enrolment numbers would 'continue to place increased pressure on the financial resources of the school and also on the teaching staff'.
An EA Area Planning Spokesperson said: “The Education Authority undertook an eight-week pre-publication consultation, May 4, 2022, - June 29, 2022, on a proposal for the discontinuance of Ballougry Primary School with effect from 31 August 2023, or as soon as possible thereafter.
"The pre-publication consultation commenced on May 4 2022 with the publication of a suite of documents outlining the background and rationale for the proposal.
All comments/views received during the consultation will be considered and a report brought to the Education Authority’s Strategic Planning and Policy Committee in September 2022. Members of the committee will make a decision as to whether to publish the proposal.
If published, this will commence the second phase of the proposal, a two-month statutory objection period with the Department of Education.
This period provides a further opportunity for all interested stakeholders to make their views known, this time directly to the Department of Education, after which a submission will be made to the Minister of Education.
"It is the Minister (or in the absence of a Minister, a nominated DE representative) who can make a decision on approving, or not approving, the proposal.”
However, Ballougry Primary School has argued that since the employment of a new principal in 2020, "significant developments" and "improvements" had been made to stop increased numbers from leaving.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Doyle said: "I have been out to this school a number of times and it's a fantastic school. In fact, there are many schools in the district that could learn a thing or two from Ballougry.
"I want to focus on the treatment of the school and parents by the Education Authority and I think elements of that have been shameful.
"This is a school that plays a massive part in the lives of parents, children and the wider community and to engage with them over zoom about this pre-consultation is just not on.
"Aontú has made a representation to the Department but I've had parents sending me copies of emails that they've tried to send to the area planning email address and they've just bounced back.
"That makes me wonder to myself whether the Education Authority are trying to tie both the hands and feet of the school's supporters when it comes to bringing forward supportive comments."
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein Cllr Patricia Logue added: "Sinn Fein believe that the pre-consultation for the school's closure is very early and it shouldn't be taking forward.
"We will be looking for the consultation to be closed. A school that has five or six principals in as many years surely isn't a situation of stability.
"However, the new principal has stabilised the school, brought forward new members and consolidated families that were once patrons of the school to return and the board of governors have made steadfast to making this a sustainable school.
"It's in a unique setting and we all know children learn in different environments and a lot of parents choose Ballougry Primary School because of its location and they believe it will make a difference to their education. The pre-consultation has been premature."
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