Ms Anne McElduff:

It is the duty of the board to manage the school on behalf of the patron and for the benefit of the students in order to provide an appropriate education for each student at the school. By and large, the boards of primary schools carry out this duty and enjoy the confidence of the school community. In a recent High Court decision in 2013, Ms Justice Iseult O’Malley stated that the structure by which most schools in the country are run, with a professional staff managed by a voluntary board representative of the parents, the community, the patron and the staff, is an admirable one which gives an opportunity for all those groups to participate in this most important field but that it was a model that places burdens on those involved. The judge stated that the voluntary members of the board will often be people without any particular experience in the range of matters, from budgeting to health and safety to management of staff, for which they must take responsibility and that it is necessary for the board to respect the expertise of its staff, while ensuring that it does not abdicate its responsibilities.
It is worth noting that the most recent report by the chief inspector found that in 88% of cases, in the period 2010 to 2012, the overall work of boards was satisfactory or better. Boards of management are bodies corporate, with statutory functions, including those under sections 15 and 24 of the Education Act. These functions include, inter alia, the upholding of the characteristic spirit of the school, enrolment and the appointment and dismissal of teachers.