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Parents protest outside school following 'shock' kitchen closure

BBC A group of adults standing on a road holding protest signs that read 'feed kids, not budget cuts; and 'protect our kitchen'. BBC
Some of the parents protesting said the closure of the kitchen would affect other parts of the rural community

Parents have been protesting outside a school after the Education Authority (EA) made the decision to close its kitchen.

School dinners for pupils at St Joseph's Primary School in Donagh in County Fermanagh are now being prepared at a school eight miles away in Maguiresbridge and being delivered each day by taxi.

The school's principal, Michael Grew, called the move "disappointing" and said he hopes the decision can "be reversed or looked at again for the good of the community".

The EA said that they are facing "unprecedented budgetary pressures" and have a "responsibility to identify all potential savings options, including amalgamation of school kitchens where feasible."

Grew said the outcome of a review into the school's meal production service was only communicated to the school by the EA in the last few weeks and has had a big impact on staff, parents and pupils.

"It was very late, in the middle of August," he said. Adding that is was a "huge shock" to the school community.

"We're scrambling to find ways to deal with it, which is very difficult.

"Parents were informed very late and want to protest. It comes from the sense that our rural community has lost so much over the last number of years and a sense that cuts are again affecting small schools.

"The provision here has worked so well from when the school was built in the 1970's and we wish the decision that has been made could be reversed."

Michael Grew, the principal of the school, is wearing a blazer, shirt and tie. He has short grey-brown hair and is standing in a corridor.
The principal of St Joseph's Primary School, Michael Grew, said the decision to close the kitchen had been made "very late" in the summer

Rita Quigley, a classroom assistant and past pupil at St Joseph's, said having a working kitchen in the school was "essential".

"Our area has been deprived of so much over the years. We've lost an after schools club and a youth club, and with the closure of the kitchen now, we've lost hot food at our breakfast club and a hot snack at 10:30."

"We had a fine kitchen that was working perfectly well. We need it back and we're not going to stop until it comes back. We're not giving up. We have been deprived of enough".

Joanie, who used to work in the kitchen and has grandchildren at the school, agreed that the loss of the kitchen would have a "knock-on effect" on the rest of the area.

"It's the heart of the community. It has a knock-on effect on the play school and on the local GAA activities in the surrounding areas. It's vital for our services."

"We also want our children to have substantial, quality meals as well. It's the least they deserve," she added.

Mairead O'Reilly, a member of the board of governors at the school, said the governors had put forward an alternative proposal for the EA to consider.

"They've provided us with costings for what they're saving for transporting the meals, but they haven't fully assessed our proposals which have operated successfully before."

"We're trying to get a full financial assessment and full transparency on why those decisions were made to remove our catering services here."

A woman with blonde hair and glasses smiling at the camera. She's got shoulder-length hair and is standing in front of a green poster board.
Mairead O'Reilly believes the savings the EA say the kitchen's closure would generate don't "make sense"

The EA said it was "normal practice" to consider whether there is a more "cost-efficient" way of providing children with a meal while attending school when "it is not possible to fill vacant posts or where the number of meals produced is not sustainable".

They said the school was providing 47 meals to both paying pupils and those entitled to a free school meal, and that stopping the service would save £36,000 a year.

They added that transporting school meals is "a well-established part of the EA catering service", and that around 50% of meals are transported across all schools in Northern Ireland.