The Parent Teacher Association

A meeting for all parents was held on 24th October 2008. Beatha Keatley from the National Parents Council (Primary) spoke at the meeting and encouraged all parents to be actively involved in school life. A Parents’ Association Committee was elected on the night: John Cullen (Chairperson), Karl Hogan (Secretary), Joan Finnerty (Treasurer), Iby Saju Kombara, Marie Duplo, James Reen. Any member of the committee may be contacted using the school address.
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For more information on Parents’ Associations please read the section below from the Catholic Primary Schools Managers Association (CPSMA) Hand Book.

The Board of Management would strive to ensure that parents find the school an open, welcoming, inclusive place. There should be a Parents’ Association in each school. The following extract is from the Education Act 1998:

26. –
(1) The parents of students of a recognised school may establish, & maintain from among their number, a parents’ association for that school & membership of that association shall be open to all parents of students of that school.

(2) A parents’ association shall promote the interests of the students in a school in co-operation with the board, Principal, teachers, students of a school & for that purpose may –

(a) advise the Principal or the board on any matter relating to the school & the Principal or
board, as the case may be, shall have regard to any such advice, &
(b) adopt a programme of activities which will promote the involvement of parents, in consultation with the Principal, in the operation of the school.

(3) The board shall promote contact between the school, parents of students in that school & the community & shall facilitate & give all reasonable assistance to parents who wish to establish a parents’ association & to a parents’ association when it is established.

(4)
(a) A parents’ association shall, following consultation with its members, make rules governing its meetings & the business & conduct of its affairs.
(b) Where a parents’ association is affiliated to a national association of parents, the rules referred to in paragraph (a) shall be in accordance with guidelines issued by that national association of parents with the concurrence of the Minister.

Parents’ Associations may choose to affiliate to the National Parents’ Council & should be encouraged to do so. (NPL Primary Head Office is at 12 Marlborough Court, Dublin 1. Tel 01-887 4034.)In a spirit of collaboration & trust, the Constitution of the Parents’ Association will recognise that there are areas of school activity which belong to the professional work of the teachers. There will also be a recognition that certain areas of responsibility (e.g. finance) belong to the Board of Management. A parents’ association is entitled to raise funds for the administration & activities of the association. Full accounts must be maintained & presented at the parent association AGM, in accordance with the rules of the association. The parents’ association should consult with the Board about fundraising for the school or school projects. The approval of the Board is needed before these funds are raised. The expenditure of these funds is by the Board of management, in consultation with the parents’ association. The Board prepares a total account of income & expenditure at the end of each school year & this is available to parents. (Constitution of Boards & Rules of Procedure, Section 19)

Any funds raised must be used for the purpose/s for which the money was collected. If, in exceptional circumstances, it becomes unnecessary for the Board to use all the funds collected for the purpose specified, the Board will communicate this to the parents’ association &, where appropriate, the local community. In any event, the funds must be used for the school. The change of purpose for which the funds are used will be decided by the Board in consultation with the parents’ association committee.

Copies of all Circulars from the Department of Education should be made available to parents. The parents should be informed annually of the school financial situation.