CROSS-COMMUNITY PROJECTS DROP IN WAKE OF BOMBING
Cross-community projects drop in wake of bombing
THE number of youth groups involved in cross-community programmes within the Western Education and Library Board area dropped dramatically in the wake of the Omagh bombing, it has emerged.
Figures just released in the Board's annual report show a 40% slump in the number of Catholic and Protestant schools participating in joint ventures.
Education Board staff, however, say the figures could not be seen as indicating a widening gap between groups from differing religions. And the drop could be put down to a varying number of factors.
Prior to the August 1998 explosion in the town, over 90 per cent of all post-primary schools in the area were involved in some form of cross-community projects. However, in the months following the attack, that figure fell to 66 per cent.
The pattern was, repeated in primary schools where involvement in projects fell from 71 per cent to 57 per cent.
Commenting on the drop, a WELB spokesperson said cross-community projects were sometimes the first to suffer at a time such as this.
The spokesperson said: We have no evidence to suggest that schools were unwilling to get involved in cross-community activity following the bomb.
"There are a number of factors which have brought about the drop in the number of schools involved in the programme.
"Among these was the added pressures which were placed on schools following the bomb in that there was less time to get involved in the programme.
"There were more pressing needs in terms of dealing with those young people who were effected by the bomb.
"The extra pressures on the school system and curriculum in general also meant that schools have less time to get involved in programmes,
"Mutual understanding and cross-community projects are very often the first to suffer when it comes to reducing the workload on students" she added.
THE number of youth groups involved in cross-community programmes within the Western Education and Library Board area dropped dramatically in the wake of the Omagh bombing, it has emerged.
Figures just released in the Board's annual report show a 40% slump in the number of Catholic and Protestant schools participating in joint ventures.
Education Board staff, however, say the figures could not be seen as indicating a widening gap between groups from differing religions. And the drop could be put down to a varying number of factors.
Prior to the August 1998 explosion in the town, over 90 per cent of all post-primary schools in the area were involved in some form of cross-community projects. However, in the months following the attack, that figure fell to 66 per cent.
The pattern was, repeated in primary schools where involvement in projects fell from 71 per cent to 57 per cent.
Commenting on the drop, a WELB spokesperson said cross-community projects were sometimes the first to suffer at a time such as this.
The spokesperson said: We have no evidence to suggest that schools were unwilling to get involved in cross-community activity following the bomb.
"There are a number of factors which have brought about the drop in the number of schools involved in the programme.
"Among these was the added pressures which were placed on schools following the bomb in that there was less time to get involved in the programme.
"There were more pressing needs in terms of dealing with those young people who were effected by the bomb.
"The extra pressures on the school system and curriculum in general also meant that schools have less time to get involved in programmes,
"Mutual understanding and cross-community projects are very often the first to suffer when it comes to reducing the workload on students" she added.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0609
Published Date: 27-Jan-00
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