38 NW schoolshave ROI pupils

For Primary Schools the figure is even higher at 62 per cent and one third (32 per cent) of NI post-primary schools with southern pupils are in the North West.

Four hundred and two pupils who live in ROI currently attend school in Northern Ireland. Hundreds of those pupils attend schools in Londonderry and Strabane including Lisneal College, Oakgrove Integrated College and Strabane Academy.

According to the Education Minister twenty-six local primary schools currently have pupils from ROI.

These are: Artigarvan, Balloughry, Barrack Street Boys’ PS (Strabane), Culmore, Gaelscoil na Daroige, Gaelscoil Uí Dhochartaigh (Strabane), Groarty, Hollybush, Holy Family, Model, Longtower, Nazareth, Oakgrove Integrated, Sion Mills, St Anne’s, St Anne’s (Strabane), St Brigid’s, St Caireall’s (Castlederg), St Columba’s (Strabane), St Eithne’s, St John’s, St Mary’s Boys (Strabane), St Mary’s Girls (Strabane), St Patrick’s, Steelstown Voluntary Maintained and Strabane Controlled.

And twelve local post-primary schools also have pupils from south of the border.

These are: Holy Cross College, Immaculate Conception College, Lisneal College, Lumen Christi College, Oakgrove Integrated College, St Brigid’s College

St Cecilia’s College, St Columb’s College, St Joseph’s Boys’ School, St Mary’s College, St Peter’s High School and Strabane Academy.

Education Minister John O’Dowd recently stated: “Currently 402 young people who live in the south attend post-primary schools here and all applicants for the 2011/12 school year were accepted for places.

“This is reflective of how people in the border areas live and avail of services, including education.”