Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 405: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department have plans to change the start of school days on a staggered basis in order that children will not be congregating outside schools all at the same time which may not be safe; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8813/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Starting time for schools is a matter for individual boards of management to determine in accordance with the requirements set out in Circular 11/95 on "Time in School". This circular is available on my Department's website at www.education.ie.

Sections 14, 15 and 23 of the Education Act,1998 assigns each Board of Management and Principal Teacher responsibility for the day-to-day management of schools. Principals should organise supervision for the order and general behaviour of pupils during school hours. In particular, they should organise and participate in the effective supervision of the pupils during breaks, lunch-breaks, assembly and dismissal.

Rules 121(4) and 124(1) of the Rules for National Schools and Section 23(2) of the Education Act 1998 oblige teachers to take all reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of pupils and to participate in supervising pupils when the pupils are on school premises, during school time and/or on school activities. Accordingly, the responsibility of all teachers individually and collectively to provide a duty of care at all times towards the pupils in the school in which they teach, including periods of supervision remains.

While my Department does not issue specific guidelines on requirements for supervision of different age pupils, it acknowledges that the degree of supervision required of school authorities varies with the circumstances, including the age of the pupil. This duty, in the case of very young pupils, might include an obligation to ensure that such pupils do not leave the classroom without appropriate supervision.