Ms Sinéad Brett:

The increased pupil-teacher ratio has had a negative impact on boards. Amalgamation of schools could be an option for school communities to consider. Currently, there is no protocol for a board of management to follow where it is considering amalgamation as a possible option. Amalgamation is only possible where it is considered an appropriate and acceptable solution for the local community. Currently, there are no incentives for schools to amalgamate.

With regard to the work of boards of management, boards are becoming more alarmed and frustrated at the amount of work and the level of responsibility that is being imposed by the Department on voluntary members of boards of management nationwide. For example, boards are expected to be familiar with and comply with the onerous requirements of the relevant contracts tax regime and reverse-charge VAT. The consequences of non-compliance are severe, with penalties and surcharges being imposed by the Revenue Commissioners.

Boards of management have worked extremely hard on numeracy and literacy initiatives. The results of standardised tests were forwarded to the Department in good faith on the understanding that such results would be used only for the purpose of assessing literacy and numeracy standards. Boards were most disappointed to learn that these results may now be used to reduce resource teaching and learning support staff in their schools. Such action does not serve to build a good relationship of confidence and trust between the Department and boards of management.

Boards of management spend years developing good relationships with the parents of children attending the schools. The Department recently sent the Primary School Profile Questionnaire 2014 to schools to collect data to establish the social context of each school, which it was to use in considering potential revisions to the existing system of allocating resource teaching or learning support resources to schools. Boards of management were alarmed at the information being sought from the schools. Examples included details of parents' employment status, local authority housing, medical cards and social welfare payments. Such intrusion into the personal life of parents places school management in an invidious position and damages the partnership between parents and school management. Surely such information could be sought through other channels without the necessity of involving the school?

The Department intends to roll out the primary online database in April 2015. Chairpersons of boards of management contacted the CPSMA to voice their concerns, alarm and outrage at the information they were expected to obtain from parents. Chairpersons were also concerned at the increased clerical workload that the imposition of the database would impose on schools without the provision of any additional resources by the Department.

The commitment, dedication and hard work of approximately 20,000 volunteer members of boards of management should be acknowledged, applauded and appreciated. I take this opportunity to thank members of boards of management of primary schools for their continuing excellent work.