Priest offers to 'step aside' over school delays

A County Tyrone priest has offered to "step aside" from his parish over delays to a shared education campus.

Fr John Connolly told parishioners in Moy about his decision at a service at the weekend.

Fr Connolly told BBC News NI that he had offered to move because of concerns about details of the plans.

The Department of Education said it was aware of "sensitivities" around the planned campus.

There have been plans to house a Catholic primary school and a controlled primary in Moy in one building since 2013.

The Department of Education (DE) subsequently approved the new building under the shared education campuses programme in 2014.

Under the plans, St John's Primary School, which has 200 pupils, and Moy Primary School, which had 91 pupils in 2018/19, would be housed in one new building.

However, they would remain separate schools, with their own uniforms, teachers and governors, but would share a gym, dinner hall and a computer suite.

Both schools continue to be involved in shared education classes and activities, but work on the proposed new building has not begun.

In a lengthy statement, Fr Connolly said he and others were enthusiastic about the potential of the shared campus when it was first announced in 2014.

"At that stage, what was expected from the proposal may be described as a 'two buildings: one campus'," he said.

"Since then, it has become increasingly apparent there is a very significant disparity between what people hoped they would get and what was actually on offer."

'Irrevocably lost'

"Most people initially understood there would be two schools beside one another, with - perhaps - shared canteen, sports facilities and playground.

"However the reality of the one building concept with everything shared except the classrooms did not sit comfortably with parents, a majority of whom voted against the concept in a survey carried out in October 2019."

According to Fr Connolly, many parents said they would prefer a fully integrated school to the proposal offered.

Fr Connolly, from St John's Primary's board of governors, also said that concerns of teachers in the Catholic school had been overlooked.

"St John's primary has a long history of success, of which it can be justly proud," he said.

"Developments in recent months led me to the view that its distinct character and ethos may be irrevocably lost in the co-located campus.

"No doubt, the same can be said of Moy Regional Primary School.

"The issues at stake are serious for, and deeply-felt by, many earnest people in the local community, and I respect the spectrum of opinion that such important considerations entail.

"If my ongoing involvement is a barrier to the resolution of these issues, I have offered to step aside."

Fr Connolly confirmed that he had contacted Archbishop Eamon Martin offering to be moved from the Parish of Clonfeacle, which includes Moy.

'Workable solution'

However, he also said that he was still committed to finding what he called a "workable solution" to the problems with the shared campus proposal.

"Now that a minister of education has been appointed, it is entirely possible that the project may be salvaged were the Department of Education to reconfigure the current plans and return to the initial concept of two schools on one campus, with each enjoying its full complement of accommodation," he said.

"I, and many others, would embrace and support the project if this were the case."

In response, a Department of Education spokesperson said: "At the heart of this project is the desire to give our children and young people the best start in life; ensuring that all of our children and young people grow up in a society that provides the support they need to achieve and that we live in a shared, welcoming and confident society that respects diversity.

"The leaders involved in this project are pivotal in contributing to these outcomes.

"The Department is aware of the sensitivities with this project and the differing levels of support from individual stakeholders within the Moy community.

"We are committed to working with all relevant stakeholders to move this project forward in the best interests of all the children in Moy."