Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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91. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a parent who is unhappy with the handling by a school board of management of an issue regarding their child can appeal a board of managements decision to his Department; if he is considering making changes to the current provisions pertaining to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10064/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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While this Department sets out the constitution of Boards of Management and rules of procedure it is not directly involved in the management of schools. Under the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school, and it is the Board of Management which employs the teachers at the school. The schools Board of Management is accountable to the school Patron.

Neither I nor officials of the Department have powers to investigate individual complaints, except where the complaint involves a refused enrolment, expulsion or suspension, in accordance with Section 29 of the 1998 Education Act. Accordingly, whereas the Department provides funding and policy direction for schools, the Department does not have the power to instruct schools to follow a particular course of direction with regard to individual complaint cases.

The Office of the Ombudsman for Children may independently investigate complaints relating to the actions or non-actions of a school recognised by the Department of Education and Skills, 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 actions or non-actions of a school has, or may have, adversely affected the child. The office can be contacted at: Ombudsman for Children's Office, Millennium House, 52-56 Great Strand Street, Dublin 1; tel. 1800 20 20 40 or (01) 865 6800 or email (oco@oco.ie).

I am committed to providing for a Parent and Student Charter. With this in mind, my Department is currently examining the legislative changes that could provide the statutory underpinning of such a charter and enable the detailed development of the charter in discussion with the relevant stakeholders, including parents and students. It remains my intention to publish my plans during the remainder of the current school year.