Debate contribution: Public Petition: St Malachy's Primary School, Kilclief — Save Our School

Debate contribution by Mr Colin McGrath on 12 October 2026.

MLA: Mr Colin McGrath
Party at the time: Social Democratic and Labour Party
Date: 12 October 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Assembly Business
Heading: Public Petition: St Malachy's Primary School, Kilclief — Save Our School
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5785847

Text

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I rise to present this petition on behalf of the people of Kilclief, particularly the children, parents, staff and wider school community of St Malachy's Primary School who are fighting to protect the future of their school. For generations, St Malachy's has been at the heart of Kilclief. It is a place where children have learned, friendships have been formed and generations of families have passed through the doors, but today that future is under threat. We need to remember something important when we talk about closing rural schools. When a school in a small rural community is closed, it is not simply a building that is closed. A major piece of that community's heart is taken away, and once that is gone, it is very difficult to get back. I acknowledge the excellent schools throughout the wider Lecale area. We are fortunate to have dedicated teachers, staff and governors working tirelessly to provide the very best education for our children. We are blessed with fantastic schools in St Joseph's Primary School, Strangford; St Mary's Primary School, Dunsford; St Patrick's Primary School, Saul; St Patrick's Primary School, Legamaddy; and St Nicholas' Primary School, Ardglass, to name but a few neighbouring parish schools. One of the most disappointing aspects of the Department of Education's approach to school closures is the way that it pitches neighbouring schools and communities against one another, leaving them competing for survival. I reject that approach. Every school has its own identity, its own contribution to make, and its own place in the community that it serves, and we should not have to argue for the survival of one school at the expense of another. Of course, I recognise the financial pressures facing the Department, and nobody can ignore those realities.
Surely, however, with all the expertise and resources available to the Department, we can find more imaginative solutions than simply closing schools. The option that is cheapest on paper is not always the best one for our children and our communities. I am increasingly concerned that rural communities, particularly across South Down, are being asked to bear the consequences of such decisions. The children of Kilclief deserve access to local education; their families deserve to have their voices heard; and their community deserves a future in which its school continues to play a part. Today, I and the 5,000 people who have signed the petition ask the Minister to listen to those voices, to properly explore the alternatives and to reconsider the proposed closure of St Malachy's. Once we lose such vital community institutions, we may never get them back. The people of Kilclief deserve better than that.

446 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Awaiting analysis

This record has not been analysed yet. It is not counted in any total until it has been assessed.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reviews every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification