Danny Kinahan, the Ulster Unionist Party’s education spokesman has said that only the parents of potential pupils can safeguard the future of secondary school provision in Crumlin, in his South Antrim constituency.

Mr Kinahan said:

“There has been a tremendous campaign  over the past 18 months to save post primary education in Crumlin, tied into  an innovative proposal to set up a new school management structure, which could be an exemplar of ‘shared education’ across the religious sectors.  

“The immediate threat to close the school has been lifted but we are about to enter a crucial phase.  The working group- comprised of the North East Education and Library Board, and representatives from all the school sectors- state controlled, catholic maintained and integrated- are organising a survey of parents from all the potential feeder primary schools for Crumlin Integrated College.

“This is a golden opportunity for local people to say that they will support the retention of a secondary school in Crumlin.  At the moment over 1,100 pupils for the Crumlin area are being bussed outside the local area for their post primary education, chiefly to Belfast, Lisburn and Antrim.  This is not sustainable if Crumlin College is to survive.

“It would be a social and educational tragedy if the village lost its local school because too many parents chose to educate their children outside the area, often on segregated lines.  I would appeal to potential parents to give the school a chance.  Recent inspection reports and exam results suggest it is on an upward curve.  I would fully expect the working group to react constructively to a positive response to their survey.

Imagine no post primary school in Crumlin: It would mean all children going by bus to other schools.  It would mean the end of after school facilities available to the wider community with no chance of re-establishing a school for years to come.  All efforts must be made to prevent this scenario becoming a reality, but ultimately it is the people of Crumlin who have the power to save their local secondary school.”