Plans to close the North Monastery primary school withdrawn

Plans to close the North Monastery primary school in Cork City have been withdrawn after angry opposition by parents, pupils, staff and the wider local community.

The decision by the Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST), less than three weeks after proposals to amalgamate it with nearby St Vincent’s convent primary school emerged, has been cautiously welcomed by parents and management at Scoil Mhuire Fatima in the North Monastery.

It was proposed to move its 170 boys to a new school on St Vincent’s grounds, under Religious Sisters of Charity trusteeship, but ERST said it has no wish to oppose the expressed will of those for whom the school is part of their lives.

“The school is of course for its pupils, present and future, and so the opinions of parents, staff and others concerned is hugely important,” ERST chief executive Gerry Bennett said in a statement yesterday afternoon.

He said the proposal for Scoil Mhuire Fatima is being withdrawn “at this time,” having received the school’s formal response. It was based on an almost unanimous ballot by parents against the plan, which was also rejected by all but around a dozen of 240 parents who voted at St Vincent’s, which caters for boys up to first class and girls from infants to sixth.

But the decision does not necessarily mean further changes will not be tabled, as ERST said it remains concerned about falling enrolments at Scoil Mhuire Fatima. Its numbers are down from around 250 since 2007, but the board’s previous proposals to enrol infant boys, instead of just second class upward, were not approved.

“[ERST] will be meeting with the other three trustees in the near future to agree an inclusive way forward to discuss the enrolment problems facing the schools in the North Cathedral parish area. Our long-term aim is to generate a plan which will secure the future of the schools and enable them to flourish,” Mr Bennett said.

Asked if this would allow for discussions with parents and school boards, he said ERST would like any discussions to be as inclusive as possible. He said the trustees have already been in touch with the Department of Education about falling pupil numbers.

Scoil Mhuire Fatima parents’ association chairperson Maria Higgins said the statement will be studied carefully before a formal response issues, but she was cautious.

“I wouldn’t be too happy that they’re saying the proposal is removed ‘at this time’. The upset caused so far, mainly to the boys, has been incredible,” she said.

The school board chairman, Barry O’Connor, welcomed ERST’s statement and said management look forward to developing North Mon primary school in consultation with parents and others.

“We will be looking at all options, including junior infant boys, in consultation with the other schools who are our partners in education for over 100 years.”

It had also been proposed to move the growing Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers, which is satisfied with the capacity of its current accommodation, into the North Mon primary buildings, and North Presentation primary school was to have become fully co-educational.