Councillor Alex Easton - PREP

North Down MLA Alex Easton has accused the Minister for Education, Caitriona Ruane, of discriminating against parents who send their children to Preparatory schools by removing their funding.
Cllr Easton has called upon the Minister to reinstate the funding, due to be stopped from this September. He also accused her of ‘playing games’ by refusing to allow a reasonable consultation period.
Speaking after the meeting tonight Alex Easton said:
 “Many parents have written to me highlighting their anger over the Minister’s decision to cut funding to Preparatory schools.
It is up to the parents of children as to whether they want to send their children to Preparatory schools but the Minister’s decision to cut funding will have a negative effect and create a funding crisis within this sector.
At present nearly 2,500 children attend Preparatory schools. Currently these schools only receive partial funding, with the rest being met by the schools themselves who in turn might pass it onto the parents.
Caitriona Ruane is discriminating against these parents and children by removing their funding altogether. She has also failed to consult properly on the matter by deciding to stop all funding from this September leaving parents and the schools in a difficult position and with little time to prepare.
The ironic thing is that Ruane is doing this in order to save the Department money however under the current arrangements Preparatory schools in fact save the Department over £3 million per year. If Ruane forces her decision through there is the risk that many parents will withdraw their children from Preparatory schools and therefore place them in local Primary schools at a cost to the Department of Education. Can the Minister’s department cope with such an outcome given the demands placed upon schools?
I call upon the Minister to listen carefully to these parents and to reverse her decision.” the North Down MLA said.