asked the Minister for Education if he will give details of the composition of the boards of management of community schools and the boards of management of regional colleges; and the provision which is being made for religious education in the community colleges.
Written Answers. - Boards of Community Schools and Regional Colleges.
65.
The board of management of a community school consists of the principal of the school together with ten members nominated or elected as follows:
(i) Three members nominated by the religious authorities.
(ii) Three members nominated by the vocational education authorities.
(iii) Two elected parents (of the pupils in the school) one of whom shall be a mother.
(iv) Two elected teachers.
The principal is a non-voting member of the board.
The boards of management of the regional technical colleges are subcommittees of vocational education committees under section 21 of the Vocational Educational Act, 1930, and as such are limited to a membership of 12.
Under current arrangements the composition of the boards is as follows:
One Member of the VEC of the area in which the college is situated;
One representative of each of the other VECs in its catchment area;
One the CEO of the VEC in which the college is situated;
One the principal of the RTC;
One selected from agricultural interests;
One nominee of ICTU;
One nominee of local chamber of commerce;
One nominee of the Minister who shall be an official of the Department.
Additional representation may be drawn from the following (subject to an overall statutory limit of 12 members):
(a) Industrial sector.
(b) An elected representative of the teaching staff of the RTC.
(c) ICTU.
There is no nationally agreed Deed of Trust for community colleges. However, the model agreement between the Archbishop of Dublin and the County Dublin Vocational Education Committee, for Community colleges under its aegis is generally accepted as a model nationally. This deed includes the following clauses relating to religious education—
The board of management of a community college has the responsibility for ensuring that there is religious worship and religious instruction for the pupils in the college except for such pupils whose parents make a request in writing to the principal that these pupils should be withdrawn from religious worship and/or instruction.
The religious worship attended by any pupil in the college and the religious instruction given to any pupil shall be in accordance with the rites, practice and teaching of the religious denomination to which the pupil belongs.
Religious instruction as aforesaid of the order of two hours shall be given to all pupils in the college (except those who are withdrawn from religious instruction) in each week during which the college is in session.
If any question arises as to whether the religious worship conducted or the religious instruction given at the college is not in accordance with the rites, practice and teaching of a religious denomination that question shall be determined by the competent religious authority.
The principal shall be immediately responsible for making arrangements for all the religious worship conducted and religious instruction given at the college and for the attendance of pupils thereat.
The committee and the board shall ensure that there are at all times sufficient teachers in the school to give religious instruction.
A chaplain nominated by the competent religious authority may be appointed outside the normal teacher quota for the school. Suitable arrangements will be made for members of other religions in consultation with the appropriate authorities.