A group of parents campaigning to keep a Derry college from closure have hit out at the issuing of redundancy notices to staff before publication of a consultation into the matter.
According to parents, four teachers and two classroom assistants at the Immaculate Conception College in the Waterside have been informed their are to lose their jobs.
The school is to start a phased closure beginning in September next.
However, parents fighting to keep the school open have accused the Catholic Council of Maintained Schools (CCMS) of beginning the phased closure of the school without making public the outcome of a consultation process on the issue.
They claim a consultation carried out by CCMS, which closed on 10 February last, was held on proposed plans to beginning the school on a phased basis, beginning in September.
They have now called on the CCMS, the Western Education and Library Board (WELB) and the Department of Education to clarify their positions on the outcome unpublished consultation and are demanding they explain how they could begin this phased closure less than one month of the consultation closing.
We have also called on elected representatives from across this city to use their influence to demand “openness, honesty &transparency” in the process.
A spokesperson said: “We are deeply saddened to hear that such dedicated members of staff will now join the ranks of the unemployed.
“The dedication shown by these staff members is immeasurable and as such was noted in the 2009 Follow-up Inspection report courtesy of the Education and Training Inspectorate.
“The report also made reference to how ‘a significant number of pupils have joined the school for whom English is not their main language.’
“Our children are distraught with the news and now fear they face being placed into schools miles from home which are already over subscribed.”
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