Richard Bruton
Ceist:1 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the method in which parents' views of the whole school evaluation pilot scheme have been collected by his Department. [7258/00]
Ceisteanna – Questions. Priority Questions. - Whole School Evaluation.
(Dr. Woods): A consultative conference on whole school evaluation, WSE, took place in March 1996, at which initial proposals for WSE were discussed with all the partners, including representatives of the National Parents Councils, primary and post-primary parents and other partners were invited to make written submissions in response to the initial proposals.
Meetings were subsequently held between the inspectorate of my Department and each of the partners to elaborate on the proposals, to clarify the responses and to discuss arrangements for a collaborative pilot exercise on WSE. From these detailed discussions and from an examination of the written submissions, a WSE pilot project was developed and implemented in 35 primary and second level schools in 1998 and 1999.
As part of the WSE pilot process, parents, in their capacities as members of the board of management, were consulted by the inspectors at the pre-evaluation and post-evaluation meetings held in each participating school.
Following completion of the pilot phase, a draft report was prepared by the inspectorate which considered the findings of the pilot exercise, including recommendations and suggestions made by the participating schools and by other partners, including parents. This draft report was circulated to all the partners and to the participating schools. A further series of consultations took place between the inspectorate and each of the partners to discuss their reactions to the draft report. The partners were invited to make further written submissions if they so wished.
A final report on the WSE pilot project, which took account of the latest round of consultations, was then circulated to all partners and to all schools in November 1999. A draft circular on WSE is in preparation and this will be circulated to all partners, including parents, for their consideration. The views of all partners will be taken into account before the final issue of the circular to schools.
Can the Minister confirm that a detailed questionnaire was issued on the whole school evaluation pilot project but that parents were excluded from it in that there was no survey of their views? With regard to the Minister's comment that parents as a body in a school were not consulted as part of the evaluation and did not receive any outcome of the evaluation, given that parents are the primary educators of their chil dren, does he agree that they should not have been excluded in this way from the evaluation of schools?
The role of parents in the whole school evaluation process was given a good deal of consideration. Given the existing developments of the parents' role at school level and the empowerment of parents and parental groups at national level, the final report of the WSE pilot project emphasised the need to explore the best means of incorporating the perspective of parents in the evaluation process.
The WSE report considered that ways should be found in which parents could be given the opportunity to express their views through questionnaires and through meetings with a wider range of groups, such as parents' associations or parents' councils in schools.
A draft circular letter on WSE is in preparation and will be circulated to all the partners for their views before it is issued in the final form. The purpose of the circular letter will be to mainstream WSE in primary and second level schools. The circular will provide for the involvement of parent representatives in the whole school evaluation process.
Will the Minister give a clear commitment that the body of parents in a school will be consulted as a part of any future evaluation and that the parents as a body will receive a report on the outcome of such an evaluation?
The report recommended that parents, through their groupings and associations, parents' councils and schools—
What will the Minister do about this?
Where else does one find parents except in the councils, associations and groupings? They will be given an opportunity to express their views and I will ensure that happens.
My question was not whether they will have an opportunity to express their views in a caucus room or consultative process that is being run by the Department. I am asking whether the body of parents in a school will gain access to have their views taken into account during the evaluation process and hear its outcome? It is a simple question. Will the Minister give parents that involvement?
That is the type of involvement—
That has been denied them.
The WSE report recommended that they be given that type of involvement.
Will the Minister give it to them?
As I said, I will ensure the recommendations of the report are implemented.
That is not an unequivocal answer. The Minister is using words to try to avoid making a clear commitment to parents who are the primary educators of their children and they expect and deserve that recognition and involvement.
The WSE report recommended that they be given it, and I said that I accept that – what more can I say.