UTU warns of threat to rural schools across Northern Ireland after campaigners win battle with CCMS to keep St Mary's Primary School in Fivemiletown open

The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) had formally proposed closing the school from August last year, through the Education Authority.

However in November, campaigners obtained permission in court to challenge the plan.

They also secured leave to seek a judicial review on how the closure proposal was handled.

There are currently 50 pupils at the school, well below the minimum threshold of 105 pupils for a rural primary recommended by the Department of Education.

However, despite the threat of closure the number of pupils has almost doubled over the last five years, the BBC has reported.

There were just 27 children at the school in 2019 - now risen to 50 - and parents say that growth reflects increasing demand for school places in the area.

Eve Bremner, chief executive of CCMS, confirmed to St Mary's that the proposal to close the school had been withdrawn.

She said the CCMS education provision committee met on 20 December to consider the ongoing legal challenge against the closure by campaigners.

"In line with Department of Education's Sustainable Schools Policy and the Strategic Area Plan 2022-2027, CCMS remains committed to ensuring that all pupils have access to a broad and balanced curriculum," she said.

"CCMS will continue to review how ongoing sustainability challenges could be addressed and will engage with the board of governors as appropriate in relation to this."

Mairaid Kelly, chairwoman of St Mary's PS board of governors, said parents and supporters of the school were delighted by the news.

Ms Kelly said hundreds of people had marched and almost 10,000 signatures had been collected in support of the school with "support from right across the political spectrum".

"Our school is going from strength to strength, our children are thriving and we hope the removal of this threat will help to increase confidence in our school to enable us to grow and remain as a vital part of this community," she said.

"We look forward to welcoming more families to our school in September."

Louise Creelman, former President of the Ulster Teachers’ Union and principal of Lislagan Primary in Ballymoney, congratulated St Mary’s, but warned that many other rural primary schools remain under threat.

“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 in a UTU statement.

“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."

Last year Newry UUP councillor David Tayor expressed concern at the likely impact of plans to close Kingsmills Primary School in south Armagh, which has around 40 pupils.

Asked if there was a risk that closure would impact on the decisions of young Protestant families to remain in the area, he said: "The presence of a local primary school is an important part of any decision making for young families."

A Department of Education spokesperson said: “The Department’s Sustainable Schools Policy (SSP) aims to ensure that all pupils have access to a broad and balanced curriculum that meets their educational needs in a school that is educationally and financially viable. It also takes account of the expressed preference of parents for a diverse system of education.

“Enrolment at rural and urban schools is only one aspect of sustainability considerations. Proposals for changes to schools which fall under the recommended minimum enrolment will be subject to review against all six Sustainable Schools Policy (SSP) criteria and the 34 indicators that underpin them.

“Sustainability is wider than issues of enrolments and budgets, since a school’s longer-term viability may also be significantly affected by other factors such as quality of educational experience, school leadership and management, strengths of links to the community and accessibility.”