THE PATRON body for multi-faith primary schools has published procedures for the appointment of boards of management and teaching staff.
According to Paul Rowe of Educate Together (ET), the patron body for some 56 primary schools throughout Ireland, patrons enjoy huge legal powers but the State has “no mechanism” to regulate their implementation.
“This is an area that’s completely unregulated by State legislation and regulation,” said Rowe. “We have around 20,000 parents of children in [ET] schools who want to know on what basis we make the decisions that we do.
“The powers are enormous. The power to appoint a board of management, to appoint a chairperson of a board of management, is the exclusive privilege of the patron.”
Rowe said Educate Together is publishing procedures governing this area “because it’s the right thing to do” and added: “We hope that this will encourage a process within the State to see the necessity for clear forms of regulation for patrons of schools, and contribute to a debate among patrons on best practice according to the carrying out of their functions.”
The document is available at www.educatetogether.ie
– Catherine Reilly
