Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 1177: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to encourage the establishment of student councils and provide for formal liaison arrangements between them and their school's board of management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29435/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Education Act, 1998 provides for the establishment of student councils, intending them to play an integral and important role in the post-primary school community. Student councils provide a representative structure through which students can debate issues of concern and undertake initiatives of benefit to the school and wider community.

Section 27 of the Act, requires Boards of Management of schools to establish and maintain procedures for the purposes of informing students in a school of the activities of the school. The procedures established and maintained for this purpose shall facilitate the involvement of the students in the operation of the school, having regard to the age and experience of the students, in association with their parents and teachers. Students of a post-primary school may establish a student council and a board of management of a post-primary school shall encourage the establishment by students of a student council and facilitate and give reasonable assistance to students who wish to establish a student council and to student councils when they have been established.

An assistant National Co-ordinator with responsibility for student councils was appointed to the Second Level Support Service in 2007. This co-ordinator has designed and is delivering a programme of professional development to respond to the identified needs and to support teachers with establishing student councils in their schools. In addition, this co-ordinator provides support to the whole school: management, staff and the students prior to establishing its students council and to the students on the council, following their election.

As part of Whole School Inspection, the Inspectorate engages with the student council of the school and where there is no council they recommend that a council should be established. Information on the establishment of a student council is available on a school by school basis from the school's inspection reports.

Both the work of the Inspectorate and the National Co-ordinator provide valuable information to my Department in relation to the establishment of student councils across post primary schools. My Department understands that student councils have been established in the majority of post-primary schools and that the remaining schools are in the process of establishing councils.