A landmark shared education campus in Omagh will be “symbolic” in Northern Ireland’s journey towards reconciliation, Stormont’s Education Minister has said.

Paul Givan was commenting as he joined First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly at a sod-cutting event on the site of the planned £375 million Strule campus, which will be home to six schools.

The 125-acre campus, which is due to be completed in 2028, will bring together six schools in a project that will see pupils educated in the Catholic maintained and controlled sectors share the same site.

Grammar, non-selective and special school provision will all be accommodated on land that once housed the former Lisanelly army base.

About 4,000 pupils will be educated on the campus.

The six schools are Arvalee School and Resource Centre, Christian Brothers Grammar School, Loreto Grammar School, Omagh Academy Grammar School, Omagh High School and Sacred Heart College.

Arvalee Special School has already been constructed on the Strule site, and work is under way to build the five post-primary schools.

Wednesday’s event on the site was not without controversy, as representatives from Omagh High School boycotted it over concerns about the size of the building envisaged for its school.

Despite the absence of one of the six schools, Mr Givan said the sod-cutting was a “truly historic occasion” as he noted that the project has been hit by years of delay.

He said: “Many people thought that this day would never come, but seeing is believing and it’s happening, and in a number of years we are going to have world class leading education facilities here in the Strule campus, a shared campus where we’ll have six schools in total coming together, 4,000 children sharing that experience, sharing resources across those schools.

“I think that’s something that we need to celebrate today, and this marks a pivotal milestone in that journey.”

He said the Stormont Executive wanted to encourage the shared education model.

“Schools that come from a traditional background, they’re proud of that identity, they can come together and share that with people. They don’t need to lose it,” he said.

“And I think that is a welcome step where people can be confident in who they are, but can also share that and learn from each other.

“And I think as you learn from your neighbour, you understand them better, and then you can embrace the things that they actually are involved in as well.

“And I think that does break down barriers, and there is clear evidence that shows this approach does help towards creating those relationships across Northern Ireland that we want and Omagh has led on this.

“Before we’ve got to this point, the schools were already involved in shared education, and I think when we consider the history of Omagh town, it’s suffered more than most during the troubles, and has come together to deliver this signature project.

“That’s symbolic, not just for Omagh, but also for Northern Ireland in terms of where we’re moving forward as a society.”

Mr Givan described Omagh High School’s decision to skip the event as a “missed opportunity”.

“The principal can defend why he’s decided to take that approach, but I think people can see that we are going to deliver world-class facilities here in Omagh,” he said.

Mr Givan added: “I’ve prioritised this, and that means that Omagh High School will get a fabulous brand new school, which many other schools in Northern Ireland would be crying out for.

“And I think people should just reflect on that in terms of what they’re actually going to get in this process.

“But there will be many more opportunities for Omagh High School to be part of this project.”

Omagh High School principal Christos Gaitatzis said the boycott was a “last resort” as he expressed frustration over a “constant battle” over the plans for the school.

"We felt that any input we have put in this conversation has not been acknowledged and any adjustments that we felt were valid were also not acknowledged," he told UTV.

"To start with, we felt that our new proposed building is too small for the growth, the capacity we require for our Omagh High School pupils."

After joining Mr Givan in the sod-cutting ceremony, First Minister Ms O’Neill hailed the Strule project’s potential.

“It’s absolutely brilliant to be here and the sun is shining for what is such a positive, momentous occasion for not just for Omagh, for Tyrone, but for society as a whole,” she said.

“To see this project now well into construction here in Omagh for the shared campus is just quite an amazing achievement, and well done to all those that have worked to get us to this point.

“This is truly shared education in the making. It’s going to be a game changer, I think, for all the 4,000 children that will actually share this facility.”

Ms Little-Pengelly said the Strule site could offer inspiration on an international level.

“I think as a concept, it’s not just the ability for that to be Northern Ireland-leading, but indeed world-leading in relation to bringing people together,” she said.

“In Northern Ireland, we do want to have that mutual respect and understanding of each other.

“What better way than through shared education and bringing younger people together at the earliest possible opportunity as well, to talk, make friends, get to know the culture and identities of each other as well.”