Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 June 2014
255. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will create an additional avenue of appeal for parents who are having difficulty or in a dispute with the board of management of their school and the board and the patron refuses to engage with the parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25935/14]
View answerThe statutory role and functions of the Children's Ombudsman are set out under sections 8 and 9 in the Ombudsman for Children Act, 2002. The Act empowers the Children's Ombudsman to investigate the administrative procedures followed by a school board of management provided the parent has firstly and fully followed the schools complaints procedures. The key criterion for any intervention by the Ombudsman is that a child has, or may have been negatively affected by the action of a school.Section 28 of the Education Act 1998 provides for grievance and appeal procedures in schools. It expresses a desirability of determining appeals and resolving grievances in the school concerned.
I am not satisfied with the current provisions of Section 28. I plan to revise it in order to provide in law for a Parent and Student Charter. Providing parents with the rationale for any decision is important. If schools help parents to understand the basis for a decision parents are more likely to accept the fairness of decisions.
This charter may be underpinned by legislation if necessary. I believe there is a need to look at how a stronger culture of valuing parental involvement in the level of each individual school can be created.
