Department of Education receives 550 responses/letters to EQIA

NI Assembly - Written Answers to Questions - Friday 26th March 2010

Department of Education

Preparatory Departments of Grammar Schools

Mr A Ross asked the Minister of Education to detail any correspondence she has received,to date, opposing her proposal to withdraw funding from the preparatory departments of grammar schools. (AQW 5458/10)

As you know my Department commissioned the Business Consultancy Service of the Department of Finance and Personnel, in January 2009, to independently undertake a review of the funding to preparatory departments following on from recommendations in the Bain Report and to provide a report of their findings. Their Report, which was provided to me in September 2009, concluded that the Department should consider the withdrawal of funding to preparatory departments on the basis of equality of access.

This recommendation was in line with the view of the Equality Commission, which stated in its document "Every Child an Equal Child" that a key component of a quality education system is the provision of equality of access to good education.

However, before reaching a decision on this recommendation, I asked for an Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) to be carried out under Section 75 of the 1998 Northern Ireland Act. The EQIA consultation closed on 4 March 2010 and I will give conscientious consideration to the responses received to this consultation prior to making my decision.

To date, my Department has catalogued: 432 responses to the draft Equality Impact Assessment; 70 Ministerial Correspondence letters; 27 General Mail letters; 15 Departmental Web Mail letters; and 6 General Correspondence letters.

Source

http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/qanda/2007mandate/writtenans/2009/100326.htm#4