§ Mr. Nicholsonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) when the proposed amalgamation of the royal school, Armagh, and the Armagh' girls high school will be complete;
(2) what proposals he has for the Armagh girls' high school when the amalgamation is complete.
§ Mr. ScottThe Department of Education for Northern Ireland has approved a development proposal made by the southern education and library board, following consultation with the board of governors of the royal school Armagh, which provides for the royal school to become co-educational and for the Armagh girls' high school to be discontinued when the royal school premises have been altered and extended to provide for a co-educational grammar school for about 600 pupils. It is not yet possible to say when the necessary building works will be completed but the planning is under way.
At the time of publication of the development proposal, the southern education and library board envisaged that the high school premises would be used for further education purposes, but the board is now reconsidering the educational use to which they might be put.