Ulster Unionist Party Education Spokesperson, Danny Kinahan MLA, has revealed that his Party intends to amend a divisive piece of legislation currently before the Assembly and seek to protect rural schools by introducing a statutory ‘presumption against closure’. 

The South Antrim Assemblyman said;

“The Ulster Unionist Party firmly believes that many of these smaller rural schools which don’t officially meet the enrolment criteria still need to remain open and the Party has decided to draw up amendments to the Education Bill which, if successful, would ensure that future area plans would include a specific presumption against closure and that any future changes would also have to be subject to rural proofing – including considerations such as the impact which a school closure would have on the wider rural community in the area.

At present 55% of Northern Ireland’s primary schools and 20% of post-primaries are situated in rural areas. The future of most of these schools is at risk due to the flawed belief placed in a minimum enrolment number of 105 pupils for primaries 500 for post primaries. It was not all that surprising to see the recent viability audits revealing that rural schools are much more likely to be identified as being in ‘stress’ than their urban counterparts; most especially in terms of enrolment.

 It is worth remembering that closing a smaller rural school would not often lead to significant savings as new costs such as transport would have to be incurred. Indeed a report by the University of Ulster quite recently found that if every smaller post primary school in Northern Ireland were to close - all 76 of them- there would only be a saving of 0.9% of the entire school budget due to all the extra costs that would need to be met. 

The recent auditing and area planning processes have needlessly left a sense of fear at the heart of many of these schools. Rather than seek to reassure schools, the Minister is now directing his attention at pushing through the deeply flawed Education Bill. If this Bill is passed in its current form it will lead to the creation of the Education and Skills Authority (ESA) and will totally devastate what little remaining goodwill exists between schools and the Department.

I am well aware of the challenges which our rural schools face. Not only did the recent Common Funding review recommend removal of the small school support factor, they now face an equally sinister threat to their future from the Education Bill. If our amendments are accepted I hope that our rural communities will at last no longer be tramped all over.”