§ Mr. Robert McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate she has made of the cost of withdrawal of funding to preparatory schools for the primary school sector; and if she will make a statement. [26738]
§ Mr. WorthingtonI announced on 29 January that the subsidy paid towards the teaching costs of pupils attending preparatory departments of grammar schools would be reduced from 40% to 30% with effect from September 1998. This is expected to save around £250,000 to help improve standards elsewhere in the education sector.
It is estimated that this change will mean on average an increase of about 8% on the existing level of parental contributions if a school decides to pass on to parents the full effect of the reduced subsidy.