asked the Minister for Education if she considers it appropriate that there is no representative of the Catholic Secondary School Parent Association on the new curriculum examination board.
Questions—Ceisteanna. Oral Answers. - Curriculum Examination Board.
6.
The members of the Curriculum and Examinations Board have all been appointed in a personal capacity and do not represent any particular organisation as such. In choosing the board's members I took great care to ensure that the board would be broadly representative of educational interests, including parents. A member of a parents' representative organisation is included among the members.
There is a parent from a particular group of parents appointed to the board and I am sure she is a most worthy person, but the point in putting down this question was——
A question please, Deputy.
Does the Minister consider it appropriate that the Catholic Secondary School Parent Association was not included on that board? In his reply the Minister said people were nominated without representing a particular body but the parent appointed represents a group of parents.
I understand that representatives were appointed on the board not because they were involved in any organisation but on their merits — educational experience and value. As the Deputy said, there is a member of a parents' organisation on the board but it was not possible to appoint all those suggested because there was a limit to the size of the board. A member of the Catholic Secondary School Parent Association has been included on one of the board's curriculum committees. The Deputy will accept that in setting up this type of board it would be impossible to include everybody suggested. I do not want to preempt the working of the board but it is possible that at least one member would be appointed to the board's curriculum committee.
I accept that a member of the CSSPA may be appointed to a committee but I am asking why what is nationally recognised as a parents' organisation has not been appointed. Is the Minister aware that there is extreme disquiet because such a representative has not been appointed? Does the Minister of State agree that parents' views are very important in the formulation of educational policy? Would the Minister bear in mind the points I have mentioned and ensure that parents' organisations are liberally represented on the subcommittees of the Curriculum and Examinations Board, bearing in mind the Minister's oft-repeated statement that she welcomes the views of parents?
I will convey the latter part of the Deputy's supplementary to the Minister but I do not think it is right to say that parents' organisations have been excluded from the board because we already have a representative of a parents' organisation on the board. In selecting the members of the board the Minister took account of suggestions received from various groups, including parents' organisations. I can understand the difficulty of including everybody on a board of that sort. There is already a parents' representative on the board. I will bear in mind and convey to the Minister what the Deputy has said.
One further point——
We are having repetition and argument.
I would disagree with the point of view that specific groups are not represented on the board. We know that very particular interests are represented on the board.
People were appointed on their own merits, not because of their membership of any particular group.
I am sure they are all very meritorious.
The number on the board is quite limited and people were not appointed because of membership of specific organisations but rather in their own right.
Arising from the Minister's reply——
This is comment and argument, not questions. Question No. 7.
Perhaps the Chair would permit me to ask one question?
I have called the next question.