Ms Asiya Al-Tawash:

Many of the points have been covered, so my submission will be fairly brief. The Muslim Primary Education Board, MPEB, is a voluntary body which represents the two Muslim primary schools in Dublin and would also hope to give voice to the large number of Muslim children in the wider educational arena.

According to the 2016 census, there are over 63,000 Muslims living in Ireland. That growth of 30% is an indicator that the numbers of Muslim children entering the Irish school system is rapidly increasing.

The MPEB welcomes the draft Bill to introduce a student and parent charter into the primary and post-primary sector. We acknowledge that it is important for all stakeholders within the education system to work together to provide the best possible educational outcome for all students.

Open school policies made clear and available to both parents and pupils clarify issues and avoid misconceptions and misunderstanding. We would particularly welcome clear and open policies with regard to the admissions process in schools, which is often confusing, especially for those who have not had previous experience of the Irish educational system. As the numbers of parents who are new to the Irish system grows, it is imperative that policies and procedures for parents are clear.

Consultation with parents on school costs and other equipment will enable parents to become part of the decision making process and regular feedback from parents and students act as a useful indicator.

The provision of a financial statement will allow parents to see that the use of voluntary contributions has become vital to schools in the provision of basic services and equipment. There are often misconceptions with regard to the use of these payments and clarification will inform parents as to the under-resourcing of schools and the dependence on voluntary contributions.

An accessible complaints system with clear steps and procedures should be available and complaints mediated and resolved within these processes, except for the most serious complaints. Voluntary school boards of management working to mediate complaints must be provided with training and resources to facilitate this role.

It should be noted that most schools, including our own, already undertake many of the practices outlined in the charter. Parents are consulted and listened to through many avenues, including parent associations and online surveys. School policies are available to parents of a school.

Class representatives and the Student Council give voice to our pupils and help them to engage and contribute in the school community. Clear complaint policies are laid out with procedures and steps toward mediation.

While much of the draft legislation will enhance and clarify relationships between schools, parents and students, some points for discussion remain. The charter is centred upon the needs and requirements of parents and students and appears to give no indication of any requirements or needs of schools, or provide any reciprocal undertaking by parents or students. A number of terms within the draft Bill, which have been mentioned already, may require clarification. For example, section 28(1) states: "To ensure that a school provides a quality experience for its students,". That is a subjective term and gives no indication as to how or by whom these standards will be set.

The Education (Amendment) Bill 2015 proposes the appointment of an ombudsman for education to provide an appeal mechanism for the decisions of boards of education concerning decisions of teachers and grievances against schools. Although the MPEB welcomes the initiative to address grievances and provide a legislated appeal process, there are already a number of options open in such cases. Currently, grievances may be addressed through a number of avenues including boards of management, the Ombudsman for Children and the Teaching Council. It would be hoped that the introduction of the parent and student charter should further reduce the number of grievances through its clarification of school policies and consultation processes. It would appear, therefore, that the appointment of a dedicated ombudsman for education may not be needed and may not be the most efficient use of resources.

The establishment of a forum of educational partners to put together a clear, robust mechanism for dealing with grievances, after all others have been exhausted, may present a better option at this point in time. The establishment of the parent and student charter, and the initiatives to address grievances, can bring significant and positive changes to our school communities, but success will depend on the participation of all educational partners.