Senior Prize Evening 2025

The Principal of Oakgrove Integrated College, John Harkin says society must not be allowed to squander opportunities for our most valuable asset, our young people- and it is they who are most at risk when adults get things wrong.

“They are my inspiration; they are the most valuable, most precious, most powerful asset we have as we face uncertain futures,” he added. “Are we doing enough? I fear that we are not, and we fail to listen at our peril.”

“We are still not building, with enough determination, a society which comes closer together, which brings out the best of our separate traditions, and builds the future together.”

Speaking at the College’s senior prize giving, John Harkin continued: “Can we, as a society, say that at the heart of decisions made in this land, we treasure our youth and work to bring them together to get the best from and for them all? Are we doing our best to work together for young people in our systems? In our decisions? In our separations? Are we honouring what is precious and sacred in our youth? I fear we are not.”

Mr Harkin paid tribute to his students as “an endless presence of curiosity, of interest, of kindness, and of hope...their diversity and uniqueness wrapped up in the Oakgrove uniform.”

“Where do I go for my inspiration? To our young,” he added. “Where do I learn what must be done? From our young. Who is most at risk when adults get things wrong? The young. What is the most urgent ‘thing’ for us to protect? Our young.

“We face unprecedented problems in society – which are well-documented, and if we are not doing what we can to harness all our energy, all our skill - together - to fix those, then we are squandering the opportunities our youth need to shine.

“Our school’s triumph, and its hope, is that we have people who know from their lived experience in here that we are better together,” he concluded. “Those of you who know this too, please use your voice to speak up for integration, to speak against separation, and to tell everyone you know that we are better together.

Our future hope is here today. Every time in this school I look around me, I see young people who are better together, and that gives me great hope.”