Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 15 May 2001

Written Answers - School Discipline.

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

Expulsion and suspension from school can take place only in line with the code of behaviour and discipline in operation in that school. Such a code is drawn up by a school, in consultation with the parents in that school, in such a way as to reflect the ethos, culture and particular circumstances applying in that school. With approximately 3,305 primary schools and 763 post-primary schools in the country, it would clearly not be possible for my Department to define the particular code to apply in each school. Rather, my Department has issued guidelines to boards of management to assist them in discharging their obligations in the area of school discipline. These guidelines were drawn up following consultation with representatives of management, teachers and parents, and are sufficiently flexible to allow each school authority to adapt them to suit the particular needs of the school. These guidelines lay considerable stress on the use of expulsion only as a last resort.

I have also brought forward a comprehensive range of legislative measures in the Education (Welfare) Act to address, generally, issues related to school attendance and discipline in schools. This legislation also provides for the establishment of a National Educational Welfare Board with responsibility for monitoring school attendance on a country-wide basis. The board will employ educational welfare officers, who will be deployed locally to assist all recognised primary and second-level schools

This Act requires the board of management of a school to consult with the principal, teachers, parents and relevant educational welfare officer in order to prepare a code of behaviour and discipline for that school. The Act requires schools to report to their educational welfare officer before expelling any student. In such instances, the role of the educational welfare officer will be to bring together the relevant parties to try and identify a mutually agreeable solution to provide for the education of the student concerned. This board, when fully operational, will be required to develop policies in relation to expulsions and suspensions.

As outlined in my earlier reply, the Education Act has made provision for new appeal procedures in order to address grievances at school level, including expulsion. In relation to a decision of a school to expel, or suspend for a period longer than 20 days, an appeal may be made to the Secretary General of my Department. These appeal procedures will bring a greater transparency to decisions by schools in relation to expulsion and also promote fair procedures at school level. In particular, the right to appeal to a national appeals committee, in relation to a decision by a school to expel, will bring a better balance to the rights and obligations of all concerning the whole issue of expulsion and suspension from schools.