MOUNTNORRIS PRIMARY SCHOOL
The Cope family of Loughgall erected the original school on the Main Street
of Mountnorris in the 1840’s. Their purpose in doing so was to make provision
for the educational needs of the children of tenants on the Cope Estate.
Until the 1930’s the school was small enough to warrant having only a single
teacher. Attendance was not large and during periods of harvest and potato gathering
was even more seriously depleted. The school had no electricity, light being
provided by Aladdin lamps and heat by a single pot-bellied stove in each room.
The school was taken over by the education committee in 1932 but it was not
until the 1950’s that running water toilets were installed, replacing the one
dry lavatory.
Agriculture was a precarious occupation and few parents could afford to send
their children to grammar school or technical college. Children therefore enrolled
at Mountnorris school when they were five years old and remained there until
they left school aged fourteen. Basic reading, writing and arithmetic were taught
with discipline strictly enforced by the use of the cane. One former pupil recalled
having said his mathematical tables as many as thirteen times a day!
As education became both necessary and compulsory there came with it a need
for a modern, more spacious building. In 1960 a new building was erected on
land purchased from Mr. Roy Henry. The building, costing £25,000 contained
two classrooms and an additional room for domestic science and woodwork. The
school celebrated the fortieth anniversary of this building in the year 2000
by staging a fun day complete with balloon race.
The current school goes from strength to strength with its pupils regularly
participating in a variety of sports, academic subjects, music and crafts. The
school also engages in a healthy relationship with other schools in the area,
to encourage within their pupils a sense of community awareness. The school
enables children to visit numerous places of local interest, complimenting their
studies in the classroom.
PRINCIPALS
Mr. McDonald
Mr. Spence
Mr. Morrison
Mrs. Morrison
1930-1974 Mrs. Flack
1974-1994 Mr. Adams
1994- Mr. Wilson
In 2014, the current principal is Mrs G Watley.
Adam Brown, “New School in Mountnorris”, The Ulster Gazette,
Monday 1 September 1960:
“Today a new school has been opened in Mountnorris. This is due
to the increase in children going to Mountnorris Primary School and to provide
further education for the older students. The land was purchased from Mr Roy
Henry and was built by McKinney from Tanderagee. The principle (Mrs Flack) explained
that it was far more spacious and modern, “It’s also safer for the children
who have a brand new playground better than the dirty and dangerous road.”
We also interviewed a pupil who had gone to the old school and changed to the
new school in Mountnorris. “The new school is far better than the school
that’s across the road beacause it is bigger and we have a new playground,”
replied the very happy and pleasede pupil. Miss Robinson the assistant teacher
discussed with us that she liked the new school because she had more room to
teach the class. The grand total for the school was £25000. Hopefully
this school will be a success.
