Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 June 2004
138 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Science if he has plans to introduce a derogation from the standardised school year for schools operating a six-day week; and if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties faced by these schools in imposing standardised fixed Christmas and Easter holidays. [18283/04]
View answerThe arrangements for the standardisation of the mid-term, Christmas and Easter breaks were agreed at the teachers' conciliation council. The council comprises representatives of the Department of Education and Science, the Department of Finance, managerial authorities of schools and teacher unions.
The purpose of the discussions at the council was to implement a specific requirement in the national agreement Sustaining Progress. Sustaining Progress set the achievement of a standard school year as a requirement for all primary and post-primary schools in the country. In encompassing all schools in both sectors it was designed to bring certainty and clarity on a countrywide basis to the arrangements for the vacation periods covered by the agreement. The agreed arrangements achieve that purpose and will have general application.
The issue of a derogation for a number of schools, including boarding schools operating a six-day week, was discussed on a number of occasions at the council following representations from those schools. There is no agreement at the council to grant such a derogation. Boarding schools continue to have discretion in the start and end of the school year, which are not covered by the Sustaining Progress requirement.
