Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1443: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will confirm that under a recent change to the code of behaviour guidelines distributed by his Department in terms of the conduct of pupils in schools, the practice of asking a parent to come to the school to remove their disruptive child has been discontinued in favour of an automatic suspension of that child in terms of a breach of the new guidelines; the person who requested such a change in the standard that is applying in terms of removing disruptive children from the classroom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48045/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) has developed guidelines for schools on Codes of Behaviour, as provided for under Section 23 of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000. These guidelines have been informed by broad consultation. The guidelines are sufficiently flexible to allow each school authority to adapt them to suit the particular needs of their school.

Each Board of Management is responsible for formulating, in consultation with parents, a fair and efficient Code of Behaviour. This Code should ensure that the individuality of each child is accommodated while acknowledging the right of each child to education in a relatively disruption-free environment. The Code should also include provision for dealing with serious breaches of discipline and continuously disruptive pupils. Section 23 of the Education Welfare Act, 2000 requires: (2) A Code of Behaviour shall specify:

(a) the standards of behaviour that shall be observed by each student attending the school;

(b) the measures that may be taken when a student fails or refuses to observe those standards;

(c) the procedures to be followed before a student may be suspended or expelled from the school concerned;

(d) the grounds for removing a suspension imposed in relation to a student; and

(e) the procedures to be followed relating to notification of a child's absence from school.

Section 23(4) of the Education Welfare Act, 2000 requires, (4) The principal of a recognised school shall, before registering a child as a student at that school in accordance with Section 20, provide the parents of such child with a copy of the Code of Behaviour in respect of the school and may, as a condition of so registering such child, require his or her parents to confirm in writing that the Code of Behaviour so provided is acceptable to them and that they shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure compliance with such Code by the child.