In accordance with the provisions of section 14 of the Education Act 1998, the composition of a board of management must be agreed between patrons of schools, national associations of parents, recognised school management organisations, recognised trade unions and staff associations representing teachers and the Minister. Under the existing agreed arrangements, there are no provisions for the appointment of non-teaching staff representatives on boards of management.
The composition of primary school boards of management was last changed in 1997 following a church/state agreement reached at that time. Any changes to the existing composition of boards would require the agreement of all parties referred to in section 14 of the Education Act 1998. Accordingly, the composition of the new primary school boards being appointed in December 2023 will remain unchanged.
The Primary Education Forum offers a platform for discussion with our partners as to what the future governance arrangements for schools might look like. This platform also offers an opportunity to consider how in future boards might be supported and strengthened in their key governance role in schools.
