Ann Graves (Dublin Fingal East, Sinn Fein)
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223. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the role of the board of management regarding holding principals to account in secondary schools. [67434/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Under the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the board of management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012), provides that the appointment, suspension and dismissal of teachers are the responsibility of boards of management of recognised schools or, where the employer is a person other than a board, by that person.

While the Department sets out the composition of boards of management and rules of procedure it is not directly involved in the management of schools. The Department does not have the legal powers to instruct a school to follow a particular course of action regarding individual complaint cases, or to investigate individual complaints except where the complaint involves a refused enrolment, expulsion or suspension, in accordance with section 29 of The Education Act, 1998.

The principal is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school, including guidance and direction of the teachers and non-teaching staff of the school. The principal is accountable to the board for that management.

Circulars 0048/2018 and 0049/2018 provide the procedures for boards of management to adhere to in relation to professional competences issues and general disciplinary matters for teachers and principals in Education and Training Board (ETB) schools, and Primary, Secondary and Comprehensive Schools, respectively. Circular 0050/2018 provides for the suspension and dismissal of principals of community national schools.