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plaque was also unveiled by Mr Jolly and classroom assistant
Pat Quinn which will bear the name of the recipient annually
of the Christopher Jolly Merit Award.
Welcoming the Year 12s and their families to the presentation
day, Charlie Lavery, senior teacher at Lough Road Learning
Centre, commended the young people for the efforts they had
put in during the year.
“When these young people come here we understand they
have had problems in schools and some of them are afraid to
go to school, some of them have behaviour issues,” said
Mr Lavery.
“When they come here we try to give them a fresh start
and give them an opportunity to achieve in a range of vocational,
recreational and educational skills.
“We take an immense amount of pleasure in seeing the
young people mature in a very short space of time and prepare
for adulthood, work and further education.”
Pauline Curran, SELB Adviser for Emotional and Behavioural
Difficulties, paid tribute to Mr Lavery and the team at Lough
Road Learning Centre who had helped the young people achieve
success thanks to them being given a second chance.
Mrs Curran welcomed Terry Smyth from the Department of Education
who presented the Records of Achievement to the young people.
Mr Smyth said: “What young people need is not criticism.
What they need is support, guidance and advice. That’s
why this facility is so important.”
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