PARENTS ASSOCIATION
Scoil Eoghain has a very effective and active Parents' Associaion. It is with the assistance of the good work and diligent fundraising of the Parents' Association that the school continues to be at the forefront of well resourced education.
Information regarding the parents committee and latest news regarding the work of the parents committee can be found here.
Chairperson: Mrs. Geraldine Mullan
Secretary: Mrs. Brigeen Coyle
Treasurer: Mrs. Sandra Boyce
National Parents Council On Line Survey - What it is like to be a child in Ireland?
This survey can be completed on the Scoil Eoghain main web page by clicking on link. The deadline for this survey is Tuesday 17th February 2015.
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE PARENT ASSOCIATION OF SCOIL EOGHAIN NATIONAL SCHOOL
Draft Version 2
January 2015
The Purpose of the Parent Association
The purpose of the Parent Association is to provide a structure through which the
parents/guardians of children attending Scoil Eoghain National School can work together for the
best possible education for their children.The Parent Association will work with the Principal, staff
and Board of Management to build effective partnership between home and school.
Under the Education Act, 1998
Section 26.
(1) The parents of students of a recognised school may establish, and maintain from
among their number, a parents’ association for that school and 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 and students of the school and for that purpose may
(a) advise the Principal or the board on any matter relating to the school and the Principal
or board, as the case may be, who shall have regard to any such advice, and
(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) (a) A parents’ association shall, following consultation with its members, make rules
governing its meetings and the business and 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.
The Aim of the Parent Association
The aim of the Parent Association is to enable parents to play their part in ensuring provision of
the best possible education for their children and that this is achieved through the Association’s
programme of activities. The Parent Association will promote the interests of the students in co-operation with the Board of Management, Principal, teachers and students, in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act, 1998.
The Work of the Parent Association
The Parent Association will undertake a programme of activities which will promote the
involvement of parents and which will support pupils, parents and school staff. In planning its
activities, the Parent Association will consult with the school Principal.
The Membership of the Parent Association
All parents or guardians of children attending Scoil Eoghain National School will be deemed to be
members of the Parent Association.
The committee of the Parent Association
The members of the Parent Association will elect a committee with a maximum of 12 and a minimum of 3. The committee will comprise of a chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary, vice-secretary, treasurer and vice-treasurer, the two parent representatives from the board of management and two officers. This committee will have responsibility for representing the parents of Scoil Eoghain National School and managing the activities of the Parent Association.
Subcommittees
Subcommittees can be set up for particular tasks.The subcommittees may also co-opt people to
assist in their work. The subcommittees may not make decisions; they remain at all times
accountable to the main committee.
The Election of the Parent Association committee
The members of the committee will be elected each year at the AGM of the Parent Association.
Each member will be elected for one year.At the AGM all committee members step down, but they
can be re-elected as long as they continue to be eligible to serve, that is as long as they continue
to be a parent or guardian of a child in the school. The committee will ensure there are 3 places available for new members each year. Parents’ representatives elected to the Board of Management are automatically members of the committee as outlined above, but will not hold an officer position on the Parent Association committee. No member of the committee will hold the same officer position for more than three consecutive years.
The Work of the committee of the Parent Association
The Parent Association committee will be responsible for ensuring that all parents are consulted
on issues which are pertinent to the entire parent body. The Parent Association committee may
advise the Principal and Board of Management on any matters relating to the school in accordance
with the Education Act, 1998, 26.- (2)(a). The committee is the team that will manage the tasks of the association on behalf of the parent body (the members).
- The committee will draw up a plan for the activities of the association, in consultation with parents and in accordance with their wishes.
- The committee will be responsible for seeing that activities are run in an efficient and effective way.
- The committee will consult with the school Principal and Board of Management when planning the programme of activities for any particular year.
- The committee will arrange with the Principal and Board of Management a system for ongoing
communication.
- At the annual general meeting (AGM) the committee will report to the parent body (the members)
about its work.
- The committee will manage and account for any funds collected or expended by the Parent
Association.
Finance
The Parent Association committee will finance the activities of the Parent Association through
fundraising. A Treasurer will be appointed from among the committee members and will be responsible for keeping account of the income and expenditure of the Parent Association finances.The Treasurer will give a statement of income and expenditure at each committee meeting.
A written statement of income and expenditure will be given at the AGM and a copy will be
forwarded to the Board of Management for their information.
The Parent Association will keep a bank account in its name. Each cheque issued requires two
signatures.The Treasurer and at least one other assigned member of the committee must sign all
cheques drawn on the account.
Fundraising for the School
Fundraising for the school by the Parent Association will be done with the prior agreement of the
Board of Management.The Parent Association committee will agree with the Board of Management
as to the specific purposes for which funds are to be raised by the Parent Association.
Membership of National Parents Council Primary
The Parent Association will maintain membership of National Parents Council Primary by annual
subscription.
Changing the Constitution
Changes to the constitution can be made at the AGM or, if for an urgent reason, an EGM can be
called for that specific purpose. Proposals to change the constitution must be submitted in writing to the Parent Associationcommittee. The Parent Association committee will then circulate these proposals to all parents before the AGM/EGM. All parents of children in the school at the meeting are eligible to vote on the proposals.
