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Below we have provided the text of the latest Department of Education Circular Letter on the Election of New Boards of Management of Primary Schools. The term of office of all existing Boards expires on 30th November 2011 and the procedures for the election of the new Boards should now be activiated.
Circular 0064/2011
To Boards of Management and Principal Teachers of Primary Schools
Election of new Boards of Management of Primary Schools
1. General
In anticipation of the appointment of new Boards of Management from 1 December 2011, the Department, following consultations with organisations representing school management, parents and teachers, has updated the Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure booklet.
The provisions governing the composition, appointment and functioning of Boards of Management assuming office from 1 December 2011 are now set out in the Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure 2011.
The Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure 2011 booklet is published on the Department’s website at www.education.ie
Ten copies of the booklet will be distributed to each primary school in the coming weeks. A hardcopy must be provided to each person appointed to the new Board of Management and the remaining two copies must be provided to the Parents’ Association.
The Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure published in 2007 continues to apply to existing Boards up to the end of their term of office on 30 November 2011.
2. Election of new Boards
The procedures set out in the Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure 2011 for the election of new Boards must now be activated.
This process can take up to 9 weeks maximum but can be completed earlier depending on the particular option chosen for the election of the parents’ nominees or where the selection proceeds without recourse to an election (i.e. where the maximum number of nominees does not exceed the number of places).
The maximum timeframe for elections is set out in the Appendix to this circular. Under this timeframe each new Board shall assume office from 1 December 2011. The term of all outgoing Boards shall expire on 30th November 2011.
3. Queries
If, after reading this circular or the Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure 2011 you have any queries relating either to the circular or to the booklet, these should be e-mailed to the Department at:
schoolgovernance@education.gov.ie
4. Dissemination of circular
A copy of this circular should be provided to members of the Board of Management and all school personnel. A copy should also be provided to the Parents’ Association. This circular may be accessed on the Department of Education and Skills website at www.education.ie. An Irish version of this circular is also available on the Department’s website.
Hubert Loftus
Principal Officer
School Governance Section.
APPENDIX
The following is the timeframe for the election of the Board members.
(Any reference to days should be taken to mean calendar days, including weekends)
- • a 14 day period for the Patron’s representative to consult the Parents’ Association regarding the method of election of parent nominee(s), prepare lists (if not by meeting), invite and obtain nominations.
- • a 7 day period to arrange elections of parent nominee(s) (i.e. information on candidates for inclusion on ballot papers, preparation of ballot paper and issue of same).
- • a 7 day period (maximum) for latest return of parents’ votes and public count of same.
- • a 7 day period to convene 6 persons nominated/elected.
- • 10 days to reach agreement and to nominate substitutes (in the event that one or both of the two community nominees decline to act).
- • a further 7 days, but only where the two persons initially selected decline or where there is not unanimous agreement – See Appendix C of the Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure 2011.
- • a 10 day period to provide for immediate notification to the Patron of the nominees to the Board and for the Patron to, in turn, submit the Patron’s declaration (contained at Appendix F of the Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure 2011) to the Department of Education and Skills.
Visit the Department of Education Website here where you can also download:
- Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure 2007
- Financial Template for Boards of Management of National Schools
- Information Manual for Primary Boards of Management