Alan Shatter
Question:85 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Education and Science the method in which parents' views of the whole school evaluation pilot scheme have been collected by his Department. [3169/00]
Written Answers. - Whole School Evaluation.
From the earliest planning stages of the whole school evaluation, WSE, pilot project, representatives of the National Parents' Council, Primary, and the National Parents' Council, Post-Primary, were involved in consultations with the inspectorate of my Department. During the WSE pilot project, 1998-99, parent representatives on school boards of management were met by inspectors at both the WSE pre-evaluation and post-evaluation stages. These meetings afforded parents, through their representatives, the opportunity to give their views on the pilot project process as it related to their particular school.
In addition, as part of a series of bilateral meetings held with the education partners following the publication of the WSE pilot project report, December 1999, inspectors within my Department had further discussions with representatives of the National Parents' Council, Primary, and National Parents' Council, PostPrimary. Parent representatives gave their overall reactions to the WSE pilot project, and their views as to how the WSE model might be further refined. Both parent organisations have also made written submissions to my Department on WSE.
The consideration of parents' views on whole school evaluation has been an integral element of WSE from the outset.