Number of schools may be unsustainable in the north, Derry & Strabane Council warned

During a deputation at Derry City & Strabane District Council’s Governance and Strategic Planning Committee meeting on Tuesday, April 9, the Integrated Education Fund’s Parental Engagement Campaign Manager, Sean Pettis, outlined the aims and plans of the Future Schools Project.

“The Project has been undertaken by us in partnership with the School of Education and Ulster University,” Mr Pettis said. “And its aim is to support initiatives that put people and communities at the centre of decision-making, regarding the provision of education, in Northern Ireland.”

Future Schools Officer, Fiona McGinn, said that the Project was developed to “support schools and communities who wish to explore whether there might be a more sustainable approach to primary school provision in their local area”.

“Well-documented historical factors have led to the development of a system of education in Northern Ireland that, on the whole, reflects the enduring community division,” Ms McGinn added. “This situation means that many local areas may be served by two or more primary schools.

“According to the Department of Education’s Sustainable Schools Policy, there are too many schools across Northern Ireland and surplus places.

“In 2020/21, there were 220 primary schools below the minimum thresholds (of 105 in rural primary schools and 140 in urban primary schools) and 21 primary schools had fewer than 30 pupils.

“Schools Planning Bodies are currently involved in an area planning process to create a network of sustainable schools and this has led to a number of recent school closures, and the number has fallen by 27 between 2019 and 2024.

“A 2019 Ulster University study examined the duplication of primary school provision in Northern Ireland, which typically occurs when a Controlled school and Maintained school are located close to one another in small settlements.

“They identified 32 isolated pairs of primary schools which were of different management types and located less than one mile apart. In 20 of these pairs, there were six cases where neither school in the pairing was sustainable. Were the schools to find arrangements to remove duplication and become more sustainable, they would be more likely to avoid closures.”

Sinn Féin Councillor Antaine Ó Fearghail said rural primary schools were under “severe pressure” and opting for integrated education, but smaller schools should be given an opportunity to grow.

“Most people I know in rural communities want to keep their wee schools going,” Councillor Ó Fearghail added. “So you’re concerned about numbers and saving money, but if a school collapses a community itself will collapse.

“In Irish-medium education, you’re going to start off small and it’ll eventually grow. Gaelscoil Uí Dhochartaigh, the Irish school in Strabane, has a brand-new school, is doing really well, and is bursting at the seams.

“So, the size of the school, especially Irish-medium education, will start off small but there is going to be growth,” Councillor Ó Fearghail concluded.

Andrew Balfour,

Local Democracy Reporter