NW Irish school couldbecome attractive toProtestant families

A multi-denominational controlled Irish language school in Dungiven could become an attractive school for the Protestant community, according to the top administrator at the Western Education and Library Board (WELB).

Rosemary Watterson was referring to Gaelscoil Neachtain, in Dungiven, a co-educational, interdenominational Irish-medium primary school.

It became the first Irish-medium controlled school in WELB in 2012.

Briefing the Education Committee at Stormont within the past fortnight, the Board’s chief administrative officer said: “I suppose that, initially, in Dungiven, the majority of pupils came from the maintained sector.

“However, in the Western Board, if that is a controlled school and, by definition, multi-denominational, it could well be that that would be an attractive school to the Protestant community.

“Obviously, it may take a long time, but it could well be. I am aware that, in the Protestant community, there are Irish-speaking people who may wish to avail themselves of an Irish-medium education. “We could be talking about the very long term, but I think that it is quite an exciting project.”

Mrs Watterson also said that she would like to see more Irish-medium schools in the controlled sector.

“It is a controlled school and obviously open to all communities. That is something that we would like to see developed. Already, the board of governors has representatives from both communities,” she said.