Armstrong was a firm believer that parents should be treated as partners within the school, and encouraged their active participation in teaching. She and her supporters fought attempts to reverse her innovations for 3 years, culminating in a group of parents fighting for multi-denominational education in the face of the educational and church authorities challenging Armstrong's "learn together" ethos. The parent-teacher association passed a vote of no confidence in the school manager at the 1974 AGM, and requested he resign. When he refused, the school became the centre of a national discussion on multi-denominational education in Ireland. Armstrong took a leave of absence in 1974 when there was no consensus on the school's new policies. She travelled to Nigeria on secondment as a curriculum advisor. Nigeria was emerging from civil war, and Armstrong aimed to change how teachers were trained, and to implement an integrated primary educational programme with a new curriculum. She remained there to take a post as principal of a large girls' school in Bida.