Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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285. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if consultation with the parents’ association or parent representatives on the board of management satisfies the criteria for consultation when a school is changing its uniform; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21377/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management of a school is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. The Board of Management is accountable to the Patron of the school.

Circular 0032/2017 sets out the principles of cost-effective practice to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of returning to school. Under these measures, schools should select school uniform items which are generic and can be purchased from an array of retailers. Only "iron on" or "sew on" crests should be used. Schools should also consult with parents as to their views on how to reduce costs.

In relation to parental complaints, whereas my Department provides funding and policy direction for schools, it does not have the power to instruct schools to follow a particular course of direction with regard to individual complaint cases. My Department's role is to clarify for parents and students how their grievances and complaints against schools can be progressed.

A school may have a formal complaints process, in which case this should be followed in pursuing any complaint. Where a person is of the view that a school's Board of Management has failed to investigate or adequately investigate their complaint, it is open to them to raise the matter directly with the Chairperson of the Board of Management by correspondence marked “Private and Confidential”.

The Office of the Ombudsman for Children may independently investigate complaints about schools recognised by the Department of Education, provided the parent has firstly and fully followed the school's complaints procedures. The key criterion for any intervention by the Ombudsman for Children is that the administrative actions or non-actions of a school has, or, may have, adversely affected the child.

Further information is available on the gov.ie website: www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/complaints-about-schools/

The Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill is currently before Dáil Éireann. When enacted, it will improve how schools engage with students and their parents by requiring each school to consult with students and their parents on individual school plans, policies and activities, including school costs. This will help ensure that the various views of students and parents will be heard and responded to by schools.