Carnalbanagh community to ‘Zoom’ into school’s final Christmas show

The community will be invited to  view the production online via Zoom.

The “Zoom into Christmas” production will involve filming the children in school with scenes shot in a stable and will include contributions from families and friends in the rural area outside Glenarm.

Principal Alison Killough says that the school,  which enjoys strong links with the local farming community, is determined to make memories during its final months.

She said Carnalbanagh Primary has been a “well-established educational institution catering for generations of families and children for almost 200

years”.

The principal added: “Despite its historical durability, even a school such as this, has had to succumb to the bureaucracy of modern-day austerity.

“Established in 1827, one the oldest schools in Northern Ireland, this small rural primary school in the Glens of Antrim, prides itself on having provided high quality education for almost 200 years.

“In this time, it has seen two world wars, the Troubles and now, of course, the coronavirus epidemic.

“The school has been a constant champion of community values in past and recent times.

“Despite strong community opposition, Peter Weir, Minister of Education, has ruled to close the school next summer.  What politicians and other representatives fail to see is that Carnalbanagh Primary School is more than a building. It infrastructures the bricks and mortar of the local community.

“As the school approaches its 200th anniversary, it is a tragedy to see such rich history lost in light of contemporary austerity measures as opposed to evaluating the quality and nature of educational deliverance.”

Braid DUP Councillor Beth Adger MBE has described the impending closure of Carnalbanagh Primary as “ridiculous”.

Cllr Adger, who has been involved in the campaign to save the school, praised the high standard of education afforded to pupils and the collaborative approach with other schools in the area, which ensured children had access to the best modern resources and opportunities for learning.

She said that the decision to close the school will have a “far-reaching impact on the entire community in Carnalbanagh”.

“The school is a focal point in the local area and it is ridiculous to see the decision which has been reached.

“I am so disappointed that future generations of children will not have the opportunity to attend the school, which has nurtured and championed the best interests of the local community since 1827.”

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter.

Click here to read: Co Antrim house set to sparkle for charity with 10,000 Christmas lights

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