‘No confidence’ in De La Salle trustees

‘No confidence’ in De La Salle trustees

24 April 2019

A PARENTS’ group opposed to the merger of St Patrick’s Grammar with two high schools in Downpatrick has secured overwhelming backing for a vote of no confidence in the body which runs it.

The Red High Parents and Friends Association organised the vote against the De La Salle trustees who want to merge St Patrick’s with St Mary’s and De La Salle.

The Red High PFA is now calling on St Patrick’s Grammar’s Board of Governors to hold its own no confidence vote in the trustees.

Originally, it was proposed to include Portaferry’s St Columba’s College in a four-way merger to create a new super school.

However, in a surprise move last week, the school was removed from the controversial proposal by the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) and the De La Salle (DLS) trustees.

The Red High PFA confirmed last night that more than 97% of respondents stated that they had lost all confidence in the (DLS), with only 12 parents indicating that they were supportive of the approach they have taken.

PFA chairman, Cormac Artt, said parents “believed there was a failure of the DLS congregation to place the welfare of students and staff at the forefront of any proposal that affects the future of St Patrick’s”.

He continued: “The vote of no confidence was not entered into lightly, but is the result of growing frustration from parents that it is evident that our concerns are still not being listened to. 

“The proposals for future provision were launched over a year ago. Since then, we have been subject to flawed proposals, poor communication and inadequate consultation. Indeed, 13 months later, we are still waiting for official feedback on the issues raised in the consultation.”

Mr Artt suggested that the trustees have not realised that parents, staff and governors, are “also part of the Catholic community and we are not being listened to.”

He said the Red High PFA is still waiting on a response to a invitation for a meeting with the trustees.

“St Patrick’s Grammar is a sustainable, oversubscribed school which is being dragged into this process against the will of an overwhelming majority of parents and all teaching and non-teaching staff in an attempt to solve issues in the other two schools regarding sustainability and enrolment,” said Mr Artt.

“It is disingenuous of CCMS and the trustees to present their ‘proposed vision’ as having children at the heart of their plans – nothing in their proposal enhances the educational experience of the pupils in St Patrick’s.”

Mr Artt also criticised the Dublin-Based De La Salle trustees for not knowing local needs.

He declared: “Like Portaferry, this proposal requires local knowledge and understanding of parental concerns. The trustees in Dublin and CCMS do not have that. The most sensible option is to give parents choice”

Mr Artt said parents would prefer merging St Mary’s and De La Salle High to provide an 11-16 age school and merging all three schools for post-16 years education as part of St Patrick’s.

He added: “This continuation of a three school model is clearly a last-ditch attempt to salvage a flawed process and cannot progress in its current form.”

CCMS, which was contacted last night for a joint response on behalf of it and the De La Salle trustees, was unavailable for comment.