‘We are a safe place,' declares Ballymena school named by DUP Minister in debate over absenteeism after riots

Belfast Telegraph

17-06-2025

St Patrick's College, a Catholic maintained post-primary, was mentioned alongside Harryville Primary School by Education Minister Paul Givan when addressing the impact of the racially motivated riots in the town.
St Patrick's is on the opposite side of the town from where the rioting happened.
'It is outrageous that, over the past week, we have been dealing with children who have come into school traumatised, showing all the signs of trauma as a result of what has happened on our streets,' the minister told MLAs.
'Alarmingly, we have also been dealing with children who engaged in the rioting and attacked the houses of children who are in their class.
'It is an appalling and complicated situation that requires intervention. My team has engaged with a number of schools as a result of the picture that we have had to deal with. We have engaged the Education Authority's emotional health and well-being unit and its intercultural education service to try to provide support for those schools.
'Last week, at a number of schools, including Harryville and St Patrick's Primary Schools (sic) in Ballymena, attendance has been less than half of the school. That is a clear problem, complicated by the fact that we are dealing with children in both schools who were engaged in the trouble and children in both schools who were the victims of it. It requires a concerted effort. My team and I are very much engaged in trying to provide that support.'
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The minister later added: 'There is a recording of absenteeism that occurred as a result of what happened last week. I have the precise figures for the schools in the Ballymena area.
'For example, 84 newcomer children in Harryville Primary School have not been at school.
'The figures for St Patrick's College show that attendance levels are sitting at around 65%.
'We therefore have that information. It will drive the interventions that we feel are necessary in order to provide support to those schools. We have that information about not only Ballymena but other areas. We will certainly use it to inform the approaches that need to be taken to provide support to schools.'
A statement from the principal Paul Fitzpatrick and governors at St Patrick's College said: 'St Patrick's College, Ballymena would like to reassure all of our pupils and parents/guardians that this school will continue to be a safe place for them to learn in and in which they can develop as young people.
'As always, our staff will continue to work hard for the education and pastoral support of all of our young people.'
Mr Givan said his department is engaging with schools in the area.
'There are only a couple of weeks left in this academic year, and it has been flagged up that that support will be available in September when the schools return after the summer break,' he said.
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Meanwhile, the principal of a south Belfast primary school has said at least three families who had children attending her school have now left Northern Ireland.
Hilary Cunningham, principal at Fane Street PS, which has one of the most diverse cohorts of pupils in Northern Ireland, said schools are too often left to pick up the pieces after violence and intimidation.
'Last year, we had a family whose front door was burnt, we also had another family who has been intimidated quite recently,' she told BBC News NI.
'Young lads standing outside the front door waiting for them when they come back in, and this is a woman on her own with two children, two young girls.
'We've actually got three families that have gone to other countries because they are so frightened to stay, and another little child from nursery who wouldn't come into school because the family were afraid to travel to school,' she said.
'It is very difficult to deal with but we just support them as much as we can.'