Vol. 504 No. 4
264 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Education and Science the success of the participation of parents as partners to education of their children through the National Parents Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11901/99]
As the Deputy will be aware, the national parents councils has, for many years, played a key role in education developments at national level through their involvement in working groups and other fora established by my Department. The national parents' councils provide representation for parents as partners in education on various Government-appointed educational bodies and play an important role as a channel of communication between parents and my Department. At local level, parents play key roles in their schools through their membership of boards of management and through local parents' associations, many of which are affiliated to the national parents' councils.
The key role of parents in this regard is further enhanced by the Education Act, 1998, which gives statutory underpinning to the national parents councils and which also gives parents a statutory right to establish parents' associations in schools.
Since 1991, my Department has paid annual grants to both the primary and post-primary tiers of the council to assist them in fulfilling their role in meeting the needs of parents and adequately representing parents' views at national, local and European level. The level of the grant is currently £90,000 for each tier.
I am satisfied that the participation of parents, through the national parents' councils, as partners in education, is a successful process which provides a forum for parents to make a genuine input into the education of the their children.
