McIlveen welcomes Ruane U-turn

DUP Education Committee Member, Michelle McIlveen has welcomed the Education Minister’s U-turn on Preparatory Department funding. The Minister has decided to continue funding for the Preparatory Department’s for the forthcoming year but the funding is to be reduced by 1/3. Commenting on the decision the DUP member for Strangford said:

“Clearly, the fact that the Preparatory Departments are to continue to receive funding is very welcome news, although that funding is to be reduced by 1/3. Preparatory Departments represent fantastic value for money in terms of the results and to remove that funding totally would have resulted in an additional burden on the Education Budget. It is a relief to many of those parents who send their children to Preparatory Departments, particularly in these fraught financial times, that funding will continue. It is also a relief for the children at these schools who faced uncertainty whether they would still be going to their school next year. The DUP has been fighting hard for those parents and children in bringing this matter to the fore.

This U-turn has been carried out in the face of extreme pressure not only from DUP, but by extremely concerned parents who care about their children being used as political pawns by Caitriona Ruane in pursuit of her educational jihad. She has been seen to crumble under that pressure. The uncertainty that has been created due to the Minister’s dithering over this funding issue is nothing short of disgraceful and can only have resulted in having a negative impact on the children. In light of this we will now be having discussions with the sector as to how we deal with this issue given the damage which has been done.”

Source - http://www.dup.org.uk/default.htm