Axe falls on Ballee Primary

Rev Joseph Andrews, chair of the Board of Governors of Ballee, said he was deeply disappointed by Catriona Ruane’s decision and said the closure “will deprive a very needy area of Ballymena of a very valuable and much needed resource”.

Minister Caitrona Ruane announced last Tuesday morning that she had approved a development proposal to close the school.

Rev Andrews responded: “Given the socio-economic conditions in the community, Ballee Primary School offers a quality educational experience for all its children. I totally reject the claim made by Minister Ruane that her decision to close Ballee Primary: “Is in the best educational interests of the pupils currently attending the school.” The closure of this school deprives the community of a much needed educational resource tailored to meet best the needs of its children.

Acting Principal, Mrs E Lynn, added: “While this is a sad day for us all our attention as staff will now turn to supporting the children and their parents as they complete their time in Ballee and begin to look to the future and the starting of a new school in September. We are very grateful for the support the parents have shown over these last difficult months and are sorry we have not been able to secure the future of the school”.

Commenting on her closure decision, the Minister said the school has suffered from declining enrolments for a number of years and has only 40 children enrolled in 2009/10

“It is never an easy decision to agree to the closure of any school, but I am confident that my decision is in the best educational interests of the pupils currently attending the school,” said Ms Ruane.

She added: ““I am sure all those involved, including parents and school staff, will work hard to ensure a smooth transition for the children and I would also like to pay tribute to all those connected with Ballee Primary School, who over many years, have shown their commitment and dedication to the school and its pupils.”

Last October, staff, governors and parents of pupils at Ballee PS vowed to fight the Education Board's (NEELB) proposal to close the school .The recommended closure with effect from September, 2010, came at the NEELB’s September 29 meeting and followed a lengthy and comprehensive consultation process on controlled primary school provision in the town.

Mayor of Ballymena, Councillor James Currie said he was saddened by the closure.

“It’s very sad to see any school closing and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the present and past teachers at Ballee for all their hard work over the years,” he said.

“It was always a first-class school but, due to lack of pupils, we realise that the Education Board has to make cuts and unfortunately Ballee fell into that category”.

The rubber-stamping of the development proposal last week by the Education Minister has also been largely condemned by local politicians.

North Antrim DUP MLA Ian Paisley jnr said: “The closure goes against the strategy of government to reduce teacher/student ratio. Closing the school only puts more pressure on classroom sizes in neighboring schools. What is more this area is socially deprived and closing this school only further deprives the locality putting more strain on the community.I and the DUP have opposed the minister and reject her decision.”

The DUP’s Mervyn Storey said: “Not only does this Minister appear incapable of listening to parents or pupils, she even appears incapable of listening to her own party colleagues whenever what they say falls short of her ideological approach to education.

“This heavy handed, short-sighted and ideologically driven decision on the part of the Minister is a further reminder of just how far short she falls from what people have a right to expect from an executive Minister”.

TUV leader Jim Allister described the Minister’s decision as “appalling”.

“At a time when as part of her political agenda Ruane is looking to establish an Irish medium school in Ballymena, it is quite appalling, but utterly in keeping with her destructive agenda, that she moves with such speed to close the controlled Primary at Ballee,” he said.

“This is a bad blow for an area of great socio-economic need. The Primary School was an important community focal point and could have been used to provide much needed adult education and community facilities,” said Mr Allister.

SDLP MLA Declan O’Loan, however, said such decisions “have to be made in the interests of the greater good”,

He stated: "There is a great sense of loss in a community when a primary school closes, and I understand how parents, staff and pupils of the school will feel at this final decision by the Minister. However we have to face the fact that there is a large surplus of places in the controlled sector in the south of Ballymena.

“That means that it is very hard to make educational provision of the standard required nowadays. It also means that resources are being used inefficiently. At a time when there is a huge pressure on public funds, that is not acceptable.” Mr O’Loan said.

UUP MLA for North Antrim, Robert Coulter, said that the closure of Ballee Primary“strikes at the very heart of the South Ballymena community”.

“I am deeply saddened by the Minister’s announcement that Ballee Primary School will close at the end of this academic year. Unfortunately, even with the fact of declining enrolments, it is difficult to have faith in any of Minister Ruane’s decisions, given her ideological crusades to date,” he said.

“I say that Ballee Primary School is a community facility because, quite simply, it is. It has been a lynchpin within the local community, when economic investment and infrastructural support have been so sadly lacking.

“Ballee Primary School will be greatly missed by the local community, and I commend staff and indeed parents on their commitment throughout its lifetime,” said Mr Coulter.

UUP consumer affairs spokesperson and prospective Westminster candidate, Robin Swann, joined Rev Coulter in expressing his unhappiness at the Minister’s decision.

He said: “I would ask the Minister to look again at her highly selective definition of ‘equality’ – here is a working-class community crying out for support and an equitable chance at education, and her only solution is closure,” Mr Swann added.

When the school closes its doors for the last time, children living nearby will face enrolment at Ballykeel, Camphill or Harryville Primaries.