Wallace Prep parents demand better communication from Board of Governors over school’s future
Concerned Lisburn parents are demanding a “roadmap” for the future of their children amid claims of a “strategy of silence” from a school’s board of governors.
The future of the Wallace Prep Department, a feeder co-ed primary school for Wallace High, is considered to be in doubt. A recent consultation was carried out by the school with parents saying the board of governors was already expected to have published its findings before mid-term, but this has not happened.A spokesperson from the Wallace Prep parents group spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) saying: “The Wallace High School board of governors are seemingly still yet to make a decision on how to proceed with regards their proposed closure of the school’s Preparatory Department.
“To date the board has only paid lip service to the requests for communication and action from parents.“Once again, parents of both the Preparatory Department and wider Wallace High School are looking to the board of governors for leadership and action and seeing limited evidence of either.
“Our only assumption at this stage is that they are assuming all the remaining children will move on thus eliminating the need for them to make a decision.”
The Wallace institution, which opened in 1880 could be set to shut down the privately run Prep with reports of dwindling numbers and new high costs.
The concerned parent added: ”Thirteen months of uncertainty is long enough. “The board of governors must now provide a clear roadmap and an estimated date for their decision. “While we respect the need for due diligence and the complexities of Education Authority schedules, silence is not a strategy.
“We demand a target date for the next steps immediately, parents deserve the respect of a timeline.”
The LDRS contacted Wallace High School for comment. A board of governors spokesperson said: “The consultation on the proposal regarding the future of the Prep Department has now closed and the school is currently completing the post-consultation analysis and the required follow up work.
“This post-consultation stage of work is ongoing and progressing as expected. “The school will communicate with parents and staff when there is an update to provide.”