asked the Minister for Education if the parents on the new management boards of Wexford vocational schools will be elected by the parents of the pupils.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Boards of Management.
77.
Mr. R. Burke
The parent members of the boards of management of the County Wexford Vocational Schools will be selected by me. It is my intention that one parent will be a married woman.
Would the Minister not agree that it would be much more desirable if the parents of the pupils in the specific schools for which the board of management is operating chose the parent representatives?
Mr. R. Burke
Yes, I would so agree.
Does the Minister think, as a corollary of that, that the time will come when this will be the position?
Mr. R. Burke
Yes, and the sooner the better but the Deputy will agree that the situation in Wexford has been somewhat unusual. He advised me to do, in his own terms, a Kissinger on the job. I have tried to bring about some degree of relaxation of the tensions that were there. I will ask him to trust my judgment in this matter. As soon as possible I will arrange a situation whereby parents will be elected, not appointed by me.
78.
asked the Minister for Education if the board of management of the community school at Ardee, County Louth has been established.
Mr. R. Burke
The board of management of the Ardee community school has not been established as nominations of their representatives have not yet been received from all the interests concerned.
Is the Minister aware that the people of Ardee are completely frustrated by the Minister's lack of decision in this mater? Is he further aware that in a couple of months the new school year will commence and that nobody—school managers, teachers, parents—in Ardee knows where he stands in regard to the children's education in the coming year?
Mr. R. Burke
The particular interests who have not yet made their nominations will have an immediate opportunity of doing so. The deed of trust, which allegedly was the cause of the delay, issued this week.
Is the Minister aware that it is not possible to advertise for the principal teacher on whom the burden will fall of preparing the community school educational programme for the coming year until the management board is established and does he believe that by the time the principal teacher is appointed it will be physically possible for him to do all the ground work that is necessary before the new school year?
Mr. R. Burke
I think he will. There will be no undue delay now in the process of appointing the principal and I think he will have ample opportunity of preparing. Obviously the more time he would have available to him the better, but there still is ample time.
I deplore the fact that the deed of trust is only to be issued next week.
Mr. R. Burke
This week.
The Minister is aware that the ground work for this and, indeed, the deed of trust was completed before I left office. He may have made some changes in it. Is the Minister aware that the enrolling of pupils will begin shortly for the new school year and has he any advice to give to the managers of the schools in Ardee at present?
Mr. R. Burke
The only advice I can give them is that they make their decision in regard to their nominees, constitute the board, set the entrance dates and so on and proceed to the setting up of the community school in Ardee with the least possible delay.
Is the Minister pressing the two groups who have not yet done so to send their nominations in at once?
Mr. R. Burke
I would expect that they will do so.