Hermon Defends Prep Departments  

Speaking to the County Down Spectator after Tuesday's visit by Education Minister Caitriona Ruane to Glencraig Integrated Primary School, the North Down MP, Lady Hermon said: “Amidst the Minister's very heavy schedule of commitments, I was pleased that she still made time to visit Glencraig Integrated Primary School, where she was made most welcome.   The school choir and the special Assembly were, as I've come to expect, excellent and put a ‘spring' in my step for the rest of the day” Referring, however, to the recent controversy over the Department of Education's proposal to withdraw public funding from Preparatory Departments from the start of September, Lady Hermon commented: “With Caitriona Ruane's visit to North Down, I certainly took the opportunity to urge her to abandon her Department's wholly misguided proposal to withdraw public...