Minister approves admissions rise for city-based Irish medium unit

by
Micheal McKenna
February 19, 2015

A proposal to increase enrolment at an Irish medium unit at an Armagh school has been approved today (Thursday) by Education Minister John O’Dowd.

The Christian Brothers’ Primary School’s approved enrolment number will increase from 393 to 476 pupils achieved by increasing the overall admission number from 56 to 68 pupils.

The additional admissions are all solely for the school’s Irish-medium unit, Bunscoil na mBráithre Críostaí, with the new admissions number enabling an increase from 18 to 30 pupils for the unit.

Commenting on the decision, Mr O’Dowd said: “I am agreeing an increase in the admissions quota at Bunscoil na mBráithre Críostaí in line with my duty to encourage and facilitate the development of Irish-medium education.

“The school’s overall enrolment will increase through a managed process of expansion at Bunscoil na mBráithre Críostaí from Year 1. Over time the total enrolment at the school will be able to grow up to a maximum enrolment of 476 pupils to cater for the projected demand for additional Irish-medium places in the area.”

The Minister concluded: “This is good news for parents in the Armagh area who wish to have their child educated through the medium of Irish. I wish everyone connected with Christian Brothers’ Primary School the very best for the future as they deliver education for even more children in the area.”

It was last November that the Southern Education and Library Board, on behalf of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools, published the development proposal to approve the enrolment at Christian Brothers Primary School being increased from 393 to 490, with effect from September 1, 2015, or as soon as possible thereafter.

CCMS later modified the proposed total enrolment number to 476.

Finally – new ABC super-council gets a name!

Armagh to celebrate biggest partial solar eclipse in almost 90 years!

£1.1M Armagh Harps complex to start in autumn pending approval

PSNI warns against ‘legal highs’ after 12-year-old girls taken to A&E

Image gives first glimpse of Armagh’s £20,000 Brian Boru sculpture

Tandragee police station faces threat of closure