Jo-Anne Dobson MLA, on behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party, has referred a proposal by the Department of Education to ‘unfairly re-categorise’ four Protestant-church managed primary schools, including Seagoe Primary School in Portadown, to the Equality Commission.

There are twenty nine Voluntary Maintained primary schools in Northern Ireland – twenty five of them are Irish-medium schools, three of them are Church of Ireland managed and one Presbyterian managed. However, the Department are not proposing changes at any of the Irish-medium schools.

Commenting following meeting the Principal and Chairman of the Board of Governors, alongside Cllr Ronnie Harkness, at the Portadown school, Mrs Dobson said:

“If the Equality Commission can spend time investigating the sale of a cake, I and my colleagues want them to take action against this move which will discriminate against Seagoe Primary School by the Department of Education - a move which would discriminate against the pupils, parents and teachers at three Church of Ireland and one Presbyterian managed primary school, given that no change is planned at the Irish-medium primary schools.

“The most recent inspection report described Seagoe Primary School, which was founded at least 300 years ago, as having a ‘caring and supportive ethos,’ and a ‘strong sense of community’ – yet the school only found out about these proposals when they queried the Minister John O’Dowd’s decision to turn down their recent request to grow the school.

“I and my colleagues pledge to continue to work alongside the management at the school to help it achieve its aim of expanding and stop any attempts by the Minister and his Department to destroy its ethos.”

Commenting Councillor Ronnie Harkness, who is a member of the Southern Education and Library Board and also sits on the Board of Governors at Seagoe Primary School, said:

“This proposal would create a clear inequality between the treatment of the four Protestant church-managed schools and the Irish-medium schools. The school is already concerned about recent imposed changes to their transport arrangements and have written to the Minister opposing these most recent proposals to re-categorise the school.

“The school has a unique ethos and a cherished status as a Church of Ireland Maintained School. I commend the excellent leadership at the school of the Principal Chris Scott and Chairman of the Board of Governors Revd Canon Terence Cadden and will continue to fully support the school.”

Ulster Unionist Vice Chairman of the Stormont Education Committee Danny Kinahan MLA also met with the Principal this week. Mr Kinahan said:

“The Principal and his Board of Governors have raised very serious concerns with us and we as a party are fully behind them as they seek to protect and indeed promote the unique ethos of voluntary church-maintained schools like Seagoe.

“I am concerned about the impact which these proposals would have on the future of the school and indeed the three other schools affected and will be raising the matter directly with the Minister and at the Assembly Education Committee. We have also raised queries around the potential impact the proposals have had on Seagoe Primary School's recent Development Proposal which was rejected by the Minister John O’Dowd.

"The Ulster Unionist Party have referred the matter to the Equality Commission and await their action to ensure fairness and equality for pupils, parents and teachers at the schools affected."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Photo Caption: Ulster Unionist MLA Jo-Anne Dobson and Cllr Ronnie Harkness meeting at Seagoe Primary school Portadown with Principal Chris Scott and Chairman of the Board of Governors Revd Canon Terence Cadden.