Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 July 2014
168. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm that he has received correspondence regarding a matter (details supplied); the advice he can offer in this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27945/14]
View answerMy officials have replied to a representation made by a concerned parent to my office recently regarding the matter at the school in question. While this Department sets out the constitution of Boards of Management and rules of procedure it is not directly involved in the management of schools. Under the provisions of the Education Act, 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school, and it is the Board of Management which employs the teachers at the school. Accordingly, whereas the Department provides funding and policy direction for schools, the Department does not have the power to instruct schools to follow a particular course of direction with regard to individual complaint cases. If a parent wishes to make a complaint against a teacher or school they should contact the relevant school authorities. The complaint procedures adopted by most schools are those that have been agreed between the teacher unions and school management bodies.
The Office of the Ombudsman for Children may independently investigate complaints relating to the administrative actions of a school recognised by the Department of Education and Skills, provided the parent has firstly and fully followed the school's complaints procedures. The key criterion for any intervention by the Ombudsman for Children is that the administrative actions of a school have, or may have, adversely affected the child. The office can be contacted at: Ombudsman for Children's Office, Millennium House, 52-56 Great Strand Street, Dublin 1; tel. 1800 20 20 40 or (01) 865 6800 or email oco@oco.ie.
The Department website www.education.ie is a useful source of information. The section dealing with parental complaints, bullying and child protection is www.education.ie/en/Parents/Information/Complaints-Bullying-Child-Protection-Discrimination. In accordance with the Department's child protection procedures, I can confirm that the correspondence received was referred without judgment to the relevant authorities.
The Deputy will be aware that I published new anti-bullying procedures for all primary and post primary schools. These new procedures have been developed following consultation with the relevant education partners and replace guidelines that were issued to schools in 1993. The procedures are designed to give direction and guidance to school authorities and school personnel in preventing and tackling school-based bullying behaviour amongst its pupils. They include specific requirements in relation to the use of prevention and education strategies and the consistent investigation, follow up and recording of bullying behaviour.
