Letter from Mr McCann

Dear Families

As school leaders in west Belfast, we feel compelled to raise our voice at this time.

The terrible stabbing incident that occurred in north Belfast earlier this week was shocking and the thoughts and prayers of everyone in our school communities are with the victim and his family and friends at this time. No one deserves to suffer such an appalling attack, and like all right minded people we expect justice to take its course through the appropriate legal processes.

Today, many of our classrooms have children missing.

Some of the children were forcibly evicted from their homes last night by angry mobs and are spending today trying to find alternative accommodation, left with horrific memories that will last a very long time.
Other children are absent because their parents and guardians are too afraid to send them across the front doors of their family homes to attend school to receive their right to education.

That is a deplorable situation which should not be faced by any families in 2026.

Many people in this community have memories of traumatic events at earlier periods in their own lives, including being put out of their family homes.

That is a memory we are grateful is alien to many children today, so it is particularly distressing that baying mobs filled with hatred and intolerance took it upon themselves to target family homes last night in acts of wanton destruction instilling fear in the hearts of men, women and children who have committed no crimes and have simply been targeted because of the colour of their skin. That can never be right.

All of our children have a right to be educated and to live free from violence and intimidation.

There can be no equivocation nor justification for these actions.

We hope and pray that people in positions of leadership will help ensure all of our children are able to return to school as soon as possible.

On behalf of West Belfast nursery, primary and post-primary schools.