Parental involvement in education
Quill asked what new steps would encourage parents to participate in their children’s education. The Minister said primary-school boards were working satisfactorily and pointed to wider moves towards democratisation.
I also welcome the Minister and congratulate her on her appointment in the Department of Education. I wish her a very successful term of office and hope that education will thrive under her good stewardship.
Let me ask one simple question in relation to the question on the Order Paper. What fresh proposals has the new Minister to encourage parents actively to become more involved in every aspect of their children's education? It would seem to me that to date very often when we are planning——
Comment on this
I thank Deputy Quill for her courteous words of welcome to me and I congratulate her also on her appointment as spokesperson on Education for the Progressive Democrats.
The question she put to me was about parental involvement and I addressed myself to that briefly when I answered Deputy Hussey. At the primary school level I am satisfied that parental involvement in the boards of management is working satisfactorily. The various moves towards democratisation in the area of community, comprehensive, Catholic, secondary and now — my own idea — boards of VECs will lead to a greater degree of parental involvement. I agree with the Deputy that parents for one reason or another are sometimes quite aggrieved that they seem to be one of the last groups to be asked for opinions but I am satisfied that generally that is a perception rather than the reality. I hope during my tenure of office that parents will continue along the road on which they have started out because nobody knows a child as well as his or her parents do.