Derry school celebrates 30 years of education

John Harkin, Acting Principal, said: “December 10 marks International Human Rights Day, but for our school community, it also marks another milestone in the history of this city. It is the 30th anniversary of the official opening of this school. It was the courage of individuals which opened a school without government approval, and the courage of governors, staff, parents and students who have since kept alive the vision of the founders.”

Representatives of the founding Governors of Oakgrove Integrated College visited the school to mark its anniversary. They shared memories of the excitement of the founding days, the struggles to get government approval, and the financial decisions they took to put up the money to run the school if the government did not.

Northern Ireland stands alone as a place where parents together set up schools and colleges, starting with Belfast’s Lagan College in 1981, and Oakgrove in 1992. Originally opened with just 78 students, Oakgrove now counts 4,813 students who have passed through its doors.

In the year ahead, Oakgrove will host a wide variety of events for the school community past and present.

In launching the year, John Harkin said: “Integrated Education has been about bringing people together, to recognise that there is more which unites us as humans than divides. During this year, we will reflect on the meaning of integration, to remember past success, and build the foundations of the next chapter of this school and city’s journey of bringing people together.”