McGuinness confident Holy Cross can remain open
The North’s Education Minister, Martin McGuinness, has said he is confident that the Catholic Holy Cross primary school in Ardoyne, north Belfast, can remain open, despite indications to the contrary.
There have been suggestions that the school might have to close permanently because of the failure of Catholic and Protestant residents in the area to ensure the pupils’ safety.
"We shouldn’t despair," Mr McGuinness said today. "We should at all times do everything in our power to support parents, pupils, teachers, boards of governors and all of those in north Belfast who are undergoing a very difficult experience at this time."
Meanwhile, the DUP’s Assembly member for the area, Nigel Dodds, has expressed regret that a number of schools and schoolchildren throughout north Belfast have been drawn into the sectarian dispute.
Yesterday, a gang of armed loyalists smashed cars belonging to teachers at the Catholic Our Lady of Mercy school in the mainly Protestant Ballysillam area, while some pupils from the Boys Model School had to be transported home in police land rovers because a crowd of nationalist youths had gathered in the Ardoyne area.
"Schools cannot become involved in this kind of situation," Mr Dodds said. "Children on both sides of the community in north Belfast have been used and exploited in this situation. I’m appealing today that no children on either side should be abused, exploited, targeted or attacked in any way."
