I am aware of complaints concerning management issues at Carndonagh community school. These complaints related to the level of financial accountability to the board and the accuracy of returns of pupil enrolments submitted to my Department.
Community schools are established under a deed of trust and managed by an 11 member board of management separate from my Department. The board comprises three representatives of the religious communities, three representatives of the vocational education committee and two parent and two teacher representatives. The principal teacher of the school is a non voting member of the board of management. My Department is not represented on the board. Each board is responsible for the governance and direction of the school and for the procedures in place to inform board members concerning the affairs of the school. My Department provides guidance to boards in relation to school management generally and it also supports initiatives taken by the representative management body for boards — the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools — in this regard so as to ensure that best practice obtains. Where internal board difficulties arise, these fall to be dealt with by the board in the first instance.