It is hoped that works will begin at St. Kevin’s College as part of a new building project will begin soon thanks to a cash injection from the Department of Education.

Additional funding from the Department of Education means that the project for the Lisnaskea school has been included  in the 2024/25 capital funding budget for education.

The news has been welcomed by Principal Gary Kelly and Chair of the Board of Governors, Councillor Thomas O’Reilly.

In a statement, the pair hailed the “wonderful” news and said: “The new school building at St. Kevin’s College is so needed.  The pupil number in St. Kevin’s College has increased from 520 pupils in 2017 to 780 pupils in 2024.  This expansion in pupil numbers is a result of the excellent exam results in the college achieves and the fantastic curriculum provision and teaching the teachers provide.

“The new building will include state-of-the-art facilities in Technology, Computers, Engineering, Drama, Music and the Arts to name but a few.  It will ensure that the College can grow even bigger in terms of curriculum provision and outcomes for pupils.”

Both Councillor O’Reilly and Mr. Kelly said they would especially like to thank all the members of the Board of Governors and Officials from the Department of Education for their hard work and efforts in making this new Building a reality.

The funding was announced earlier this week and will mean that St. Kevin’s College, alongside 14 other schools from Northern Ireland will be able to progress to the construction phase.

However, it was suggested by Education Minister, Paul Givan that further investment for schools in Northern Ireland could be coming, he said: “I also plan over coming weeks to launch a series of targeted smaller scale investment programmes to support and enhance the delivery of the curriculum in our schools. 

“Potential schemes in this area will include specialist curriculum accommodation at post-primary; outdoor play and PE in the primary phase and curriculum resources and equipment more widely. 

“It is my priority to ensure the educational experiences of as many children and young people as possible across Northern Ireland are impacted positively by capital investment.”