Joe O'Toole (Independent)

With great reluctance I disagree with this amendment. The idea of the parents being the primary educator is completely misunderstood and abused. This is a question of whether parents should have a choice to accept the designated school. With great respect to the Minister of State's grandfather, I believe it is unfortunate that the Constitution made parents the primary educators of their children. As an educator, I have never understood why a person who happens to be a parent is also the primary educator. I recognise all the responsibilities that exist but I am sure the idea of making a child's education the responsibility of somebody who may have no educational background was never intended. However, this is how the Constitution has been interpreted.

That the Constitution makes the parent the primary educator means parents can decide to educate their children themselves. There are certain restrictions on this process under the education Acts and other regulations. Parents can choose not to educate their child themselves and choose instead to trust the State or educational system to educate him or her. One cannot have it both ways. One cannot say one wants the State to educate one's child and simultaneously make decisions that impinge upon this process. This has occurred on many occasions.

One of the most important changes I have seen in education during my time in the Seanad was an amendment to one of the education Bills that allows a child to be referred for psychological assessment without requiring parental consent. The reality is that the child should be at the core of the issue. One must allow for the fact that a parent, for all the wrong reasons, might not like the best school for his or her child. Let us at least put on record what the correct school is and how it is selected. The parent can decide not to have any part in it but at least the decision will be clear. Parents should not be entitled to ask the authorities to designate a school and then state the schools to which they will agree. The system cannot work this way.

Utter confusion has been caused throughout the education system because of the idea that parents are the primary educators. This idea does not obtain in every country. It is important to us and we must respect it, but it does not mean that parents have to take every decision for the system. They can work outside it. I am sorry to inform Senator McCarthy that I have a very strong view on this issue.