Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the witnesses for their presentations today. I agree with those who said that "service provider" is not a way to describe schools. It is a huge disservice to what happens in schools across the country. Is áthas liom go bhfuil áiseanna aistriúcháin againn inniu agus gur féidir le Mr. Ó hEagra a chur i láthair a dhéanamh i nGaeilge. Cinnte, aontaím leis nach bhfuil go leor acmhainní sna scoileanna agus go bhfuil a lán príomhoidí ag obair gan lár-bhainistíocht chun tacú leo. An gcreideann Mr. Ó hEagra gur chóir do dháltaí suí ar na boird bainstíochta sna scoileanna?

Ms Salmon of the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools, ACCS, recommended inserting a new paragraph which would say that "Parents will co-operate with the Parent and Student Charter and recognise their responsibilities to be active and involved in their child’s education." How does she envisage schools dealing with parents in scenarios where, unfortunately, parents are either unwilling or uninterested in getting involved? How can parents be made to co-operate without their lack of co-operation having an adverse effect on their child?

I note Ms Salmon is not in favour of having students on boards of management. Surely it is possible for student members to be recused from certain areas, such as issues of discipline and so on, while at the same time having a valuable contribution. I am aware that there are student councils and active student voices within our schools but unfortunately, due to the squeeze on middle management, many schools do not have a student council staff liaison officer. It is a very important role. That essential staff member, who holds the hand of the student council at the very beginning, is absent. Indeed, even in some of Ms Salmon's own schools the principal is acting as that co-ordinator. Therefore the student councils are suffering and their voice might not be heard with the strength it could be.

Does Ms Salmon believe it is time to review how boards of management are formed? I am aware that in many schools after local elections, for example, there is a scramble for whatever political party that got the majority to get onto the boards of management. Does that necessarily put the right people on the boards of management, when they do not have experience in the field of education or in services for children? They are chairing interview panels for teachers when they have absolutely no educational experience. The student teacher who has just qualified sometimes has more experience than the person who is chairing the panel, who is sometimes just there because he or she is from the right political party at the right time. That same question applies to all witnesses across the board. Where that is happening, do we need to review our boards of management to make sure they are working properly for our students and for our schools? As Deputy Jim Daly said, some parents feel some schools in certain places are closed shops and parents who want to get on boards, cannot.

In respect of the boards of management again, I see that Educate Together has second level students on the boards. Will Mr. Rowe expand on how this works and what he feels is most effective about it?