No decision on Lurgan campus of Craigavon Senior High School ‘detrimental to pupils and families’ says Doug Beattie

Upper Bann MLA Doug Beattie said a decision on the future of the Lurgan campus must be made ‘as soon as possible’.

Mr Beattie said: “It is now 2022 and still no decision has been made. This present issue has been going on for over four years but the wider concerns a lot longer and the effect of no decision being taken is having a detrimental effect on families, pupils and the wider education settings in Lurgan.

“The widespread opposition to the proposal to bus Lurgan children from the Lurgan Campus to Portadown has been very clear. It has come from local government, academia, the education sector, businesses, sporting clubs and more importantly the community in Lurgan. All of which want a Lurgan solution to be found which keeps Lurgan children in Lurgan to be educated close to their support network. The proposal to make the Lurgan Junior High School for 12-16 year olds is seen as a sensible solution with those selected at 14 transferring to Lurgan College as would be the case normally therefore retaining the Dickson Plan for education in Lurgan.

“It will allow for some of our most educationally vulnerable to remain in a school for 4 years instead of attending a 2 year school in Portadown. This allows for greater support and stability for the pupil and is in everyone’s interests.

“On a number of occasions I have pressed the DUP Education Minister to make a decision and time and time again they have kicked the can down the road, possibly to after the election, as any decision may well be electorally damaging. But this is not a time for politics, this is a time to put our children first and take the clear decisions that Lurgan children will not be bussed out of the town just because they were not selected to go to the college.

“We talk about improving the academic outcomes of working class protestant boys and girls; well how on earth will isolating them in the way that is proposed help the children of Lurgan. We must trust the community who is not in favour of their children being bussed to Portadown when there is a very clear and better solution on their doorstep. Decisions need to be made now not left to allow confusion reign.”

A Department of Education spokesperson said: “Development Proposal (DP) 574 proposes that Craigavon Senior High School will operate on a single site at 26-34 Lurgan Road, Portadown, with effect from 1 September 2022, or as soon as possible thereafter. This is the proposal on which the Minister will make her decision in due course.

“The provision of a high quality education for all pupils will be an important consideration for the Minister’s decision.

“A decision will be made on the proposal as soon as possible.”

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