In a bold move, the headteacher and governors of a school in County Tyrone have announced their decision to boycott the sod-cutting ceremony of a shared education campus due to dissatisfaction with plans for the new school building. Principal Christos Gaitatzis of Omagh High School expressed that the school had been battling with the proposals for the Strule Shared Education Campus and saw the boycott as a “last resort.” The sod-cutting ceremony, marking a significant milestone in the long-delayed project, has been eagerly anticipated in Northern Ireland.
The Strule Shared Education Campus is a massive undertaking involving six schools and over 4,000 students relocating to the former Lisanelly Army base site. Omagh High School is one of the six schools slated for a new building at Strule. Despite the construction work commencing in 2013, only Arvalee Special School has been completed thus far, leaving other schools like Loreto Grammar School, Sacred Heart College, Omagh Academy, and Christian Brothers Grammar School waiting for their new facilities. The project has been beset by delays and escalating costs, with the estimated total cost ballooning from £168.9m to £374m by March 2024.
Omagh High School’s discontent stems from the inadequacies they perceive in the planned new school building at Strule. Gaitatzis voiced concerns about the proposed building being undersized for the school’s current and growing student population. The school’s repeated requests for adjustments have not been addressed to their satisfaction, prompting their decision to avoid the sod-cutting ceremony. Despite raising these matters with the Department of Education multiple times, the school’s recommendations have not been given due consideration.
Gaitatzis emphasized that the proposed canteen size was insufficient, highlighting a lack of comprehensive planning and a failure to update decade-old blueprints to meet modern educational needs. The principal lamented the missed opportunity to create a truly exceptional campus, criticizing the current plans as merely meeting basic standards. He underscored the importance of adapting to technological advancements and changing educational trends to ensure a successful future for Omagh High School students
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