I wish to confirm that my Department was not consulted on the ‘Road to Racing Primary Programme’ which was developed by Horse Racing Ireland.
Choices regarding educational materials, textbooks, educational products as well as digital and online services to support the implementation of the curriculum in schools are made by individual schools and their boards of management. The current policy in the Department is not to endorse any products, publications or services from individual providers. In this regard, Horse Racing Ireland’s programme for primary schools is not endorsed by the Department of Education.
My Department’s attention has been brought to the video hosted on Horse Racing Ireland’s website. Under the relevant legislation, all schools are managed by the school board of management/ education and training board (ETB). The boards of management and school principals have a responsibility for the quality and effectiveness of education and the management of staff in a school. In the Department’s view it would not generally be appropriate for commercial content to be shot on school property. However, such decisions are a matter for the board of management/ETB concerned. All schools must comply with data protection requirements, including the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and must ensure that any data, including videos, is processed in compliance with data protection legislation.
Schools should have an “Acceptable Use Policy” in place to address all rights, privileges, responsibilities and sanctions associated with the use of the internet and digital technologies within the school, including online and offline usage. This policy applies to the staff as well as pupil/student body of the school, and should support the school's Data Protection Policy.
The Teaching Council of Ireland requires all registered teachers to comply with its Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers (2nd Edition, 2016) which under Part 2 Professional Integrity states that teachers should “… 2.5 avoid conflict between their professional work and private interests which could reasonably be deemed to impact negatively on pupils/students.” According to the Teaching Council, the purpose of the Code is threefold: 1. It serves as a guiding compass as teachers seek to steer an ethical and respectful course through their career in teaching and to uphold the honour and dignity of the teaching profession. 2. It may be used by the education community and the wider public to inform their understanding and expectations of the teaching profession in Ireland. 3. It has an important legal standing and is used by the Council as a reference point in exercising its investigative and disciplinary functions under Part 5 of the Teaching Council Acts, 2001 - 2015, dealing with fitness to teach.
