Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)

I thank everyone for coming before the committee. As my colleagues have all said, they are very brave. I came before the finance committee a few years ago when I was trying to save my business. The witnesses here today are trying to do all they can for their kids. It puts my issue into perspective when I compare it to what they are trying to do. I say "well done" to them.

I wish to bring up a few things. Ironically, over the past three weeks, I have been speaking to a few parents so my questions are for Mr. Clerkin and the National Parents Council. I will say one thing on the principals. Principals are not only teaching principals; they are architects, transport managers and SNAs. They are everything. I do not know if we have figured out yet what we do to support that. By way of example, I am on the board of a special school in Navan. I have raised this previously. My colleagues may be tired of me saying this because it is my third time to say it, but I genuinely feel we need to have a pilot programme for transport managers for special schools in order to ensure principals and vice principals are not out in the school yard arranging 25 to 30 buses. If they are not doing that and not taking phone calls in the morning, the kids in the back of the bus do not get to school. I am trying to push that. It could be good, even for the special schools, that principals have someone to help them. It may be a co-ordination officer in total who helps to co-ordinate administration, buses and new school planning applications. The beautiful new building of St. Joseph’s Mercy Primary School in Navan has just opened and the vice principal and the principal are absolutely wrecked going in to the summer with all they had to do to get that first phase opened. We really need supports that way. I am conscious of the time here.

I would like to address the three parents. A mother came to me in total panic after the principal came to her and said that her child had some reading difficulties in sixth class. It was brought up then. The mother is in a total tailspin because the child is going into secondary school. She wonders if she has picked the right one, if the child is going to the right one and will she have the supports. How do we stop it happening again that it takes until sixth class to find this out? She has been told that girls have a better way of disguising it than boys when it comes to English and learning.

Another thing that keeps coming up is parents feeling left out, to blame and helpless. They feel their children are being singled out when they are brought out of the room to learn a bit of extra reading. It seems like something that could be done better. Can we do it in part of the classroom so that they are still included? Should we have a teacher-parent liaison officer? Parents are saying it is very hard to get on to the teacher and talk to them about their issues. What can we do to help that?

Lastly, it is mentioned in the opening statements that more training is needed for the SNAs. What way do the witnesses see that happening? It is already a year-long course. Is there a need for ongoing training or what do they see happening?