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WELB
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Contact Us

Telephone: 028 8241 1411
Fax: 028 8241 1400
Email: info@welbni.org
Textphone: 028 8241 1550.

About WELB

Mission Statement

"The Mission of the Board is to provide, develop and support education, library and youth services in the Western Area to the highest standards in order to enable the community to fulfil its potential thereby enriching the quality of life and contributing to social and economic development".

The Board was established in 1973 under the Education and Libraries (NI) Order 1972. It is one of 5 Education and Library Boards in Northern Ireland. The constitution of the Board is laid down in the Education and Libraries (NI) Order 1986.

The Western Education and Library Board is the local education authority and library authority for its area. Its functions are laid down primarily in the following legislation:

  • The Education and Libraries (NI) Order 1986
  • The Education Reform (NI) Order 1989
  • The Education and Libraries (NI) Order 1993
  • The Education (NI) Order 1996
  • The Education (NI) Order 1997
  • The Education (NI) Order 1998

The Board's Administrative Headquarters is located in the county town of Omagh, with district offices in Derry and Enniskillen. In such a large area with a widely dispersed rural population, we have an efficient transport service with a fleet of school buses which is among the largest of those belonging to local Education authorities in the UK.

Functions, Duties, Powers and Services of the Western Education and Library Board

Within the public education system, the Board has statutory responsibility for primary and secondary education within its area. The Board must also have regard for the need for pre-school education. The Board is also responsible for the provision of a youth service and library services to schools and the public.

The area has a population of over 282,055. There are over 63,581 pupils attending schools and over 106,070 registered library users.

The Board provides or maintains 12 Nursery , 194 Primary, 10 Special, 36 Secondary/ High, 4 Grammar Schools and 16 Branch Libraries.

In addition, services are provided to 10 voluntary grammar and 6 grant-maintained integrated schools. The Board also makes extensive provision for youth facilities and over 400 registered youth groups are supported.

The main duties of the Board are:

  • to contribute towards the spiritual, moral, cultural, intellectual and physical development of the community
  • to ensure that there are sufficient schools for providing primary and secondary education
  • to secure special educational provision for those children who have been identified as having special educational needs
  • to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service
  • to secure the provision for its area of adequate facilities for recreational, social, physical, cultural and youth service activities and for services ancillary to education

In support of these main provisions the Boards undertake a range of duties and provide a range of services. See Corporate Plan Document

The Board also has a responsibility, on behalf of the five Education and Library Boards, for the Classroom 2000 Project, which has as its central purpose the design, development and operation of an ICT infrastructure to support the curricular, management and information needs of the major bodies within the Education Service in Northern Ireland.

The constitution of the Board is laid down in the Education and Libraries (NI) Order 1986 and membership consists of 32 persons appointed by the Minister responsible for the Department of Education as follows:

  • persons (members of Local Councils) nominated by the District Councils in the Board's area
  • persons appointed by the Minister
    • to represent the interests of transferors
    • to represent the interests of trustees of maintained schools
    • to be suitable for appointment by reason of their interest in the services for which the Board is responsible

The Board is appointed for a term not exceeding four years. The current period ends 30 June 2005.

Committee Structure

The activities of the Board are managed through the following committees:

  • Education
  • Library
  • Services
  • Finance
  • Youth

The Board also has a Teaching Appointments Committee and Audit Committee.