John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 214: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the basis on which schools can declare a free day for students; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that such days given at short notice can cause much inconvenience for parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15890/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Social Partnership Agreement 2003-2005, Sustaining Progress, provided for modernisation of the education sector. As part of the modernisation process, arrangements with regard to standardised mid-term breaks and holiday periods at Christmas and Easter were agreed following discussions at the Teachers' Conciliation Council which involved union and management interests.

Once schools adhere to the agreed standardisation, they have local flexibility in determining how they make up the required number of teaching days, 183 days in respect of primary and 167 days in respect of post-primary schools. The Department does not centrally determine whether a school opts to have a closure for any particular event once the overall number of teaching days has been delivered by the school over the course of the year. That approach aims to strike a balance between allowing schools some local discretion while at the same time ensuring that pupils get their full entitlement to education. It is, of course, essential that there be the greatest possible consultation with parents and that sufficient notice be given regarding any school closure.

Schools may use their discretionary days, where available, to determine the precise start and end of the school year. However, it is recognised that the commencement of certificate examinations will mean that post-primary schools will not be open for tuition beyond the Friday preceding the June bank holiday in any year. The expectation is that to meet the overall requirement of a minimum of 183 days at primary level or 167 at post-primary level the school year will normally commence in the week that 1 September falls.

In reality, most post-primary schools would not have any discretionary days but where they do, the arrangements provide some limited flexibility to schools on certain other days outside the defined periods.