EDUCATION BOARD CALLS IN SPECIALISTS
Education Board calls in specialists to help schools cope with trauma
THE chief executive of the Western Education and Library Board, Mr. Joseph Martin, this week pledged support for those whose lives had been shattered by the Omagh bomb.
At a meeting of the Board's finance committee yesterday (Wednesday), he said the beginning of a new school year was traditionally a time of hope, of change, of new beginnings and looking forward.
"The terrible events of Saturday, August 15, which have shattered the lives of so many have left an aftermath of grief and suffering which is unprecedented in scale and depth," he told committee members.
"The whole community in Omagh and far beyond has been the terrible injuries of so many people. On behalf of the Western Education and Library Board, I wish to express publicly our sincere sympathy to all who have been bereaved and injured in this atrocity," he said.
Mr. Martin said the toll of young lives has been particularly horrendous, with pupils at schools in the area and students at college and university among the dead and seriously injured.
"Many others have witnessed horrific scenes and there are few who do not have friends and relatives deeply affected by the traumatic events.
"Some pupils were awaiting their examination results, all of them were looking to the future with hope. A former employee of the Board and his son are dead - other Board employees are among the injured," he said.
"Board officers have visited the homes of all the local pupils who died and the Board was represented at the funerals in Omagh and Buncrana. To the families of all of them our hearts go out as they begin to come to terms with the consequences of the tragedy which has occurred," he said.
"Violent death and injury are abhorrent. When so many children and young people have been affected either directly or indirectly, physically or mentally, the horror takes on a new dimension.
Schools and teachers will have a key role to play in supporting their pupils in coping with the effect of their experience. Already the Board has begun the task of supporting the schools and the teachers in this vitally important task," he said.
He said Board staff had met the principals of the schools most directly affected and further meetings would take place during the week.
"The Board has now obtained the services of the Centre for Crisis Management and Education which has worked in similar situations throughout the world, and which has an international reputation for helping schools in post-trauma recovery," he said.
He said two specialists from the centre arrived in Omagh on Tuesday to work with schools and the youth and library services.
"They will provide the specialist expertise and experience gained from working in other traumatic situations, including in Britain, America, Australia, Israel and Croatia," he said.
He told members that the director of the Centre, Elizabeth Capewell, was a former teacher and youth and community worker, who specialised in support after major disasters, and she had given courses to teachers in Omagh, Enniskillen and Londonderry in 1994. He said she had also worked regularly with schools in the Board's area over the past three years.
In addition to specialist assistance, Mr. Martin said, the resources of all the Board's support services would be made available to schools, teachers and pupils in the weeks and months ahead.
"The Board recognises that the education service has a vital role to play in the long-term recovery, not only of the pupils but also of the community as a whole and it will give strategic assistance to schools as well as to individuals as appropriate," he said.
The chief executive said that, in doing so, it would continue to work in close and active co-operation with the local Health and Social Services Trust.
Mr. Martin also announced that Mr. Jack Walls, senior adviser with the Board, would act as coordinator of the Board's support services.
He added that the Board was greatly heartened by the messages of sympathy and support which had been received from all over Ireland, Britain, and throughout Europe and the rest of the world including the USA and Russia.
He said the messages included one from the European Association of Teachers which in its letter described Omagh schools as the 'brightest star' in its work in Northern Ireland.
"Even in the midst of all the pain and suffering the immense goodness of the young people shone out like that bright star," he said.
"It gave us hope that despite the terrible evil which stalked the streets of Omagh, good will ultimately triumph.
"The Board will endeavour to do everything possible to make that happen and to work for the regeneration of a shattered community."
THE chief executive of the Western Education and Library Board, Mr. Joseph Martin, this week pledged support for those whose lives had been shattered by the Omagh bomb.
At a meeting of the Board's finance committee yesterday (Wednesday), he said the beginning of a new school year was traditionally a time of hope, of change, of new beginnings and looking forward.
"The terrible events of Saturday, August 15, which have shattered the lives of so many have left an aftermath of grief and suffering which is unprecedented in scale and depth," he told committee members.
"The whole community in Omagh and far beyond has been the terrible injuries of so many people. On behalf of the Western Education and Library Board, I wish to express publicly our sincere sympathy to all who have been bereaved and injured in this atrocity," he said.
Mr. Martin said the toll of young lives has been particularly horrendous, with pupils at schools in the area and students at college and university among the dead and seriously injured.
"Many others have witnessed horrific scenes and there are few who do not have friends and relatives deeply affected by the traumatic events.
"Some pupils were awaiting their examination results, all of them were looking to the future with hope. A former employee of the Board and his son are dead - other Board employees are among the injured," he said.
"Board officers have visited the homes of all the local pupils who died and the Board was represented at the funerals in Omagh and Buncrana. To the families of all of them our hearts go out as they begin to come to terms with the consequences of the tragedy which has occurred," he said.
"Violent death and injury are abhorrent. When so many children and young people have been affected either directly or indirectly, physically or mentally, the horror takes on a new dimension.
Schools and teachers will have a key role to play in supporting their pupils in coping with the effect of their experience. Already the Board has begun the task of supporting the schools and the teachers in this vitally important task," he said.
He said Board staff had met the principals of the schools most directly affected and further meetings would take place during the week.
"The Board has now obtained the services of the Centre for Crisis Management and Education which has worked in similar situations throughout the world, and which has an international reputation for helping schools in post-trauma recovery," he said.
He said two specialists from the centre arrived in Omagh on Tuesday to work with schools and the youth and library services.
"They will provide the specialist expertise and experience gained from working in other traumatic situations, including in Britain, America, Australia, Israel and Croatia," he said.
He told members that the director of the Centre, Elizabeth Capewell, was a former teacher and youth and community worker, who specialised in support after major disasters, and she had given courses to teachers in Omagh, Enniskillen and Londonderry in 1994. He said she had also worked regularly with schools in the Board's area over the past three years.
In addition to specialist assistance, Mr. Martin said, the resources of all the Board's support services would be made available to schools, teachers and pupils in the weeks and months ahead.
"The Board recognises that the education service has a vital role to play in the long-term recovery, not only of the pupils but also of the community as a whole and it will give strategic assistance to schools as well as to individuals as appropriate," he said.
The chief executive said that, in doing so, it would continue to work in close and active co-operation with the local Health and Social Services Trust.
Mr. Martin also announced that Mr. Jack Walls, senior adviser with the Board, would act as coordinator of the Board's support services.
He added that the Board was greatly heartened by the messages of sympathy and support which had been received from all over Ireland, Britain, and throughout Europe and the rest of the world including the USA and Russia.
He said the messages included one from the European Association of Teachers which in its letter described Omagh schools as the 'brightest star' in its work in Northern Ireland.
"Even in the midst of all the pain and suffering the immense goodness of the young people shone out like that bright star," he said.
"It gave us hope that despite the terrible evil which stalked the streets of Omagh, good will ultimately triumph.
"The Board will endeavour to do everything possible to make that happen and to work for the regeneration of a shattered community."
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0501
Published Date: 27-Aug-98
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.