The event was attended by local schools from the Omagh area as well as wider education, community and political representatives. The Minister listened to addresses from pupils who spoke of their hopes and aspirations as part of the shared campus.
Addressing the event the Minister said: “Today, is a very special milestone in the life of Omagh. Strule is a vision for the future of education in Northern Ireland – a vision for a truly high-quality education system for all our young people and today is an opportunity to celebrate all that has been and all that is to come. It also marks a touchstone moment in the development of Shared Education for Northern Ireland.
“We all have a collective responsibility to ensure that Shared Education can achieve its aims and bring our communities closer together. The shared campus here at Omagh will provide a sustainable, long-term model of sharing and collaboration that will prepare our children for the challenges and opportunities of life, work and citizenship in the 21st century.”
Strule will be the largest education construction project ever delivered in Northern Ireland and will bring over £1billion pounds of investment to the local economy and create many new jobs across the local area. When complete, the state-of-the-art shared centre of learning will bring together six schools from across the community and incorporate grammar, secondary and special school provision. Over 4,000 children and young people from all backgrounds, will come together on a vibrant and dynamic campus. The schools will work together to provide a shared curriculum and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.