NICCY supports us.

Down High have posted a link to a letter received from the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People to a number of their children. Clearly Patricia Lewsley does not agree with Department of Education's proposal and has written to them clearly stating her views on this.

Here is the link to their article and letter.

Prep funding decision 'by end of April'

It has been heard at Stormont's Education Committee that a decision on whether Prep Departments will continue to receive Government funding is expected by the end of April.

Link to Newsletter article 15th April - Prep funding 'decision by end of April' HERE.

Also for further details on this NI Assembly Education Committee meeting, please see separate post below.

RHS Prep Parents' Group returned to Stormont today to hear Education Committee meeting with DENI officials

Let's hear what the Election candidates have to say!

As we wait for a decision from the Education Minister, we continue to progress our campaign and gain more awareness in both our local and wider communities. We therefore encourage you as parents to now approach the 6th May Election Candidates in your constituency area. Either a short letter or email, asking them if they are aware of the threat of the prep funding withdrawal, the effects of it on our school and of their opinion on it, will suffice. Emails are just as effective as letters, and more time efficient.

This will ensure in particular the "new faces" to Strangford and North Down will be brought up to speed on the prep funding issue and we can hope to also get them on board and support us as soon as possible. This is also a chance to raise the profile of our campaign with all the candidates who will certainly be in the media limelight during the next few weeks.

Remember these people are looking for our votes on 6th May.

For your convenience, below are all the Strangford and North Down Constituency candidate's contact details. Please write to the particular candidates depending on where you live.

Strangford Constituency – Election Candidates 6th May 2010

Mike Nesbitt – Ulster Conservatives and Unionists - New Force

mike.nesbitt@voteforchangeni.com

Unit 5F Weavers Court Business Park,

Linfield Road,

Belfast, BT12

Deborah Girvan - Alliance

deborahgirvan@gmail.com

Strangford Alliance Constituency Office

13 Court Street

Newtownards

BT23 7NX

Terry Williams – TUV

139 Holywood Road

Belfast

BT4 3BE

Tel: 07752056704

Claire Hanna - SDLP

c.hanna@sdlp.ie

clairehanna@gmail.com

Jim Shannon - DUP

Newtownards Constituency Advice Centre

34a Frances Street

Newtownards

BT23 7DN

jim.shannon1@btopenworld.com

North Down Constituency –Election Candidates 6th May 2010

Steven Agnew – Green Party

Room 253


Parliament Buildings


Stormont


Belfast


BT4 3XX

Tel: 028 9052 1067

Email: steven.agnew@niassembly.gov.uk

Stephen Farry – Alliance Party

8 Abbey Street

Bangor

Co. Down

BT20 4JB

Tel: 07775 687152

E-Mail Address: stephen.farry@allianceparty.org

Sylvia Hermon - Independent

Bangor Office: 17a Hamilton Road,

Bangor,

County Down,

BT20 4LF

Telephone: (028) 9127 5858

Fax: (028) 9127 5747

Email: hermons@parliament.uk

Liam Logan - SDLP

liam@northdown.org

Ian Parsley - Ulster Conservatives and Unionists - New Force

Unit 5F Weavers Court Business Park,

Linfield Road,

Belfast, BT12

Ian.parsley@voteforchangeni.com

RHS Prep Parents' Group returned to Stormont today to hear Education Committee meeting with DENI officials

A link to the audio of this meeting is available HERE. (Prep funding item commences at 14 minutes 6 seconds)

A small group of us from the RHS Prep parents group, Mrs Packham, Head of Department and Mrs Fraser attended the public viewing of the NI Assembly Education Committee today (14th April) at Stormont. The purpose of this meeting was for several officials from Department of Education to update the Education Committee on EQIA.

Briefing update on the Proposal to withdraw funding from Preparatory Departments of Grammar Schools

Witnesses:
John McGrath – Deputy Secretary
Roisin Lilley – School Finance Branch
Paul Duffy – Accounts Branch

Before the meeting it was not expected that a decision would be made today, as it is public knowledge that the Education Minister has not yet made her decision. In fact, John McGrath, Deputy Secretary from DENI explained that the delay was due to the Education Minister taking time to review all the responses received and that she would give responses due consideration. He confirmed that there was a high volume of responses, the majority being from parents.

During the briefing, the Chair of the Education Committee, Mervyn Storey, took the opportunity to express with the Education Department officials, his grave concerns at both the nature of this EQAI and the delay in a decision He reiterated strongly on the impact that the whole process was having on parents, teaching and auxiliary staff and children, particularly in the three SEELB controlled schools. He, on several occasions, told the DENI officials that the situation was in no way satisfactory and needed resolved as a matter of urgency.

Mr Storey also expressed his displeasure at the lack of communication from DENI with the Education Committee following correspondence from the Committee to DENI in writing on 30th March 2010. He said that various important issues were raised and questions asked in that correspondence and that, as of today 14th April, the Committee had yet to receive a response to any of the issues raised.

Towards the end of the briefing, John McGrath was asked by the Chair when a decision on the EQIA would be made by the Education Minister. Mr McGrath anticipated that a decision would be made before the end of April.

ACTION REQUIRED- Follow up letters

As parents you can be very much assured that your RHS Prep Parents' Group is constantly aware of what is going on with the whole Prep Funding issue. Within our group, we keep an up to-the-minute eye on Stormont and keep in contact with those people/organisations who can support us along the way.

However, even though we are up-to-date with our information, we feel that it is very important that as parents too, you continue to show your support and play your important part in this campaign.

We are therefore encouraging all parents to write/email back, in particular, to those MLA's, Ministers or organisations who replied to your original EQIA response letters that you wrote at the beginning of March. Feel free to write to others who didn't, but at this stage you are more than likely to get a second response from those who originally replied to you. Keep lines of communication open!

ADDITIONALLY PLEASE WRITE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ENCOURAGE THE EDUCATION MINISTER TO MAKE HER DECISION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

A short letter to simply request a follow up/update on the current situation is adequate. It is the volume of letters which will count this time.

The purpose of these letters, is not simply to get information we already know, but it clearly shows our continued concern, that we haven't gone away and are still waiting for a positive outcome. Remember it is their duty to reply to you.

YOUR LETTER/EMAIL

You may wish to include some of the following points;

• the matter remains unresolved causing considerable upset and worry to parents, children and teachers

• we have already entered the final term for the school year and seek an assurance that every effort will be made to ensure that families are not left in a position where their children have no assurance that their schooling arrangements will not be thrown into disarray by ill advised decision making or lack of it by the Education Minister.

SAMPLE LETTER/EMAIL

RE: Prep Funding

Dear

I am writing in regard to my previous correspondence to you on ...March 2010.

As a concerned Regent House School Preparatory Department parent whose SEELB "controlled" prep department could face closure if prep funding is withdrawn, I am hoping that you might have some further information on where the situation is at currently and if there has been any decision made. Please could you provide me with an update or information at this time?

As a concerned parent I am keen to make sure this issue does not get brushed under the carpet and that a positive outcome for our children and teachers is achieved quickly.

I look forward to hearing from you on this issue.

Your sincerely

Finance Minister - "I believe that the Education Minister is guilty of a terminological inexactitude"

During the NI Assembly debate (15.03.10) on the proposal to withdraw funding from preparatory departments, the DUP’s Jonathan Bell was ordered from the chamber after he refused to withdraw his comment that the Education Minister, Caitriona Ruane, was "deliberately mislead(ing) the House" by associating the Finance Minister, Sammy Wilson, with a report from the Assembly’s Business Consultancy Service which had actually been commissioned by the Education Minister. In the Assembly today 13.03.10, the Finance Minister decided to pick up up on this point again...

Here is the link to YouTube where the 2 minute footage is available to view.

(Video was originally from BBC NI’s Stormont Live 13.04.10)