Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will introduce a system whereby students can give feedback on their school experiences at the end of each year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27562/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Section 27(2) of the Education Act 1998 provides that procedures established and maintained by schools under section 27(1), for the purposes of informing students of the activities of the school, shall facilitate the involvement of students in the operation of the school in association with their parents and teachers. The Education Act also provides that post-primary schools should encourage and facilitate the establishment of student councils. An effective school council can be a very good way for students to give feedback on their school experiences.

Student councils are established in the majority of post-primary schools. I believe very strongly that one cannot merely teach students about rights and responsibilities in the CSPE class, one must give them responsibilities in the place where they spend much of their day. I have stressed to teachers' groups the need to not only ensure that each school has a student council but that councils are given a meaningful role in school decision-making.