Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 July 2013
98. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the training that was provided for members of boards of management at primary and post-primary level; the funding his Department provided for this training; the evaluation of this training that has been undertaken by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32394/13]
View answerIn recognition of the responsibility which the Education Act has imposed on Boards of Management and the increasingly complex environment in which they must operate, the Teacher Education Section (TES) of my Department developed a new scheme for the provision of support to school management bodies for the purpose of training and development of members of boards of management of primary and post-primary schools in the discharge of their duties. Five core modules of training are currently being delivered. The 5 topics available to Board of Management members are The Board as a Corporate Entity, Procedures Governing the Appointment of Staff in Schools, Board Finances & the Role of Treasurer, Legal Issues and Child Protection Guidelines. Other training is provided as is requested by members of Boards from time to time.
When the training was established in 2006, my Department allocated a sum of €1,000,000 and since then has provided an additional €764,146 towards the training. For 2013 my Department has allocated an amount of €250,000 to BoM training. A National Steering Committee, comprising representatives from all of the Management Bodies for schools, primary and post-primary, meets twice a year with the TES. The Steering Committee members oversee the design and planning of training materials and report on the roll-out of training for the respective school sectors. The response by BOM members to the training, as reported by the Management Bodies, has been very positive. The funding for Board of Management Training is administered on behalf of my Department by the Drumcondra Education Centre.
