Parents denied places at Loughgall Playgroup due to what they describe as a “deeply flawed” allocation process by the Education Authority are to take their fight to the top.
For they have now launched a petition, which has already been signed by over 200 people, asking that Education Minister Paul Givan intervene as a matter of urgency.
The parents say they feel let down by a situation which they insist only serves to quicken the demise of rural schools.
They place no fault on either Loughgall Playgroup or Cope Primary School, and are now attempting to lobby local political representatives to fight on their behalf.
Ruth Fowler, from Portadown, is a mother-of-two who feels her family – like others – are now being placed between a rock and a hard place after being denied a placement at Loughgall.
She explained: “As a working parent, I take my 45-minute lunch break just to manage school pick-ups. I simply do not have the time to be driving all over the country for additional drop-offs and collections. I cannot be in two places at once.
“So what are my options? Either keep my son out of pre-school or move my daughter out of her current primary school to somewhere closer to wherever he gets a place.
“No matter what I choose one of my children loses. One of them is disadvantaged and that is not right.”
Ruth said it was now a matter about what was right and what was wrong and she believes others are being similarly disadvantaged by an unfair system.
“This is happening everywhere,” she said, “to families just like ours, to children who deserve better. We need to stand up and do something about it.
“I have been contacting representatives, making calls, sending emails, and speaking to others affected. And the more I hear, the clearer it becomes, there is a direction this is being pushed in. Larger schools. Integration. They may not openly admit it, but the impact is clear.
“We cannot let our country schools die, because that is the reality. If there aren’t enough pre-school places locally, families will be forced to move primary schools too. And once that starts, our countryside schools will disappear. Is that really what we want?
“I am not alone in this. There are three other families in the exact same position as me. All of us have older children in The Cope, yet we have been refused places in the playgroup because the EA has not allocated enough spaces.
“We are told it’s ‘based on area needs’ but we all know that’s not the full truth.
“On top of that, there are two more families who had hoped to send their eldest child. That’s two families who may now never come to The Cope at all. And families like ours may be forced to take our children out too. It’s not fair.”
Having launched a petition, Ruth and others suffering in the same situation are “urgently” requesting the Minister to step in.
They say as concerned parents of children attending, or planning to attend, The Cope Primary School and Loughgall Playgroup they have become victims of a “deeply flawed and unjust pre-school placement situation affecting families in Loughgall”.
The petition highlights for the Minister’s benefit: “A number of local children have been denied places at Loughgall Playgroup, not due to a lack of demand or physical capacity, but as a direct result of decisions made by the Education Authority.
“We want to be clear that this is not a failure on the part of the playgroup. The staff have been exceptional and remain fully committed to supporting local families. The issue lies with the reduction in available places this year, despite clear evidence of both need and capacity. It is difficult to justify cuts in a community where demand exceeds supply.
“The real-world impact of this decision on families is significant. Many parents in our community are working households with limited or no support networks. The current allocation of pre-school places creates serious logistical challenges around childcare, school runs, and employment responsibilities.
“In some cases, parents are being placed in a position where maintaining employment or keeping children within their local school community is becoming increasingly difficult.
“In addition, some families have not been offered suitable alternative placements – suggestions of settings that do not align with family needs, including differing religious ethos or impractical locations, do not represent meaningful or appropriate choices for young children at this stage of their education.
“What is most concerning is that this situation appears to be avoidable. There are pre-school settings with unused capacity, while others, such as Loughgall Playgroup, are oversubscribed.
“A system that does not effectively respond to this imbalance is not serving children or families as it should. The outcome is that children are denied access to local early years education and families are placed under unnecessary pressure.”
The petition implores Minister Givan to deliver “immediate and decisive action”, adding: “This should include a reassessment of current place allocations and a commitment to ensuring that pre-school provision reflects the actual needs of local communities.
“The importance of early years education cannot be overstated. It should support children’s development and enable families to function, not create barriers that disproportionately affect working parents.
“We understand that this issue has already been raised during your recent visit to The Cope Primary School. We are therefore asking that meaningful steps are now taken to address the situation.
“We would appreciate a prompt and substantive response outlining what actions will be taken to resolve this matter and ensure fair access to local preschool provision for children in our community.”
Ruth Fowler, meanwhile, is asking people to “come together” and sign the petition, whether from Loughgall or further afield, and show their support, contact local representatives and “make your voice heard”.
“It we don’t stand up and push for change, nothing will change,” said Ruth. “We cannot let this continue.”
To sign the petition, click here.
