Ministers Meet Over Rural Schools Concerns

Education Minister John O’Dowd and Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Michelle O’Neill have met to discuss concerns surrounding rural schools.

John O’Dowd said: "In recent months, following the publication of draft plans for the primary sector, I have heard concerns about the impact of this process on rural schools and communities. I recently met with the Ulster Farmers’ Union on the matter and assured them that area planning is not a numbers game based solely on enrolments.

"Today’s meeting provided me with the opportunity to update the Agriculture and Rural Development Minister on progress on the area plans. It also provided us with the opportunity to discuss my Department’s commitments under the Rural White Paper Action Plan and issues such as the promotion of greater out of hours community use of school buildings and the Extended Schools programme in rural areas."

Minister O’Neill added: "I acknowledge that the Department of Education’s Sustainable Schools Policy has been rural proofed in line with the Executive’s commitment to rural proof all major policies and I am pleased that the needs of rural communities have been considered.

"I also welcomed the Education Minister’s recent decision not to remove the small schools support factor immediately as part of his review of schools’ funding. We agreed that it was important that rural children are educated in strong, viable schools that offer a broad and rich educational experience and that the work underway to improve how schools can be more effectively planned on an area basis to serve the educational needs of children was the appropriate means of ensuring this."

(IT/CD)