The National Parents Council

Post Primary

In March 1983, a week long International Conference was hosted by the European Community in Luxembourg. The basic document for the Conference was a study entitled "The Child Between" written by Dr. Alastair McBeth, University of Glasglow. This was a study of home-school relations in the EC. The conference was entitled "The school and the Family in the European Community".

107 participants included members of parent associations, researchers, politicians, and teacher educators. CSPA and CBS Parents Federation sent a representative each, and the Irish Department of Education sent an observer. Papers were read by 15 experts and discussion groups were formed. The 46 parent organisations' remained on an extra day and a committee was set up to consider the formation of the European Parents Association, for mutual co-operation and information between parents associations in different European countries.

CBS Parents Federation was set up in 1974, CSPA in 1975. At meetings with various Ministers for Education, the Ministers avoided discussing with the parent bodies, neither agreeing nor disagreeing on the many educational matters raised, on the basis that the parent bodies did not represent all views.

In 1984 various meetings were held in the Department of Education , the matter under discussion being, the formation of the Secondary Tier of the National Parents Council. At First, the Department represented by Mr.Sean O'Mahony wanted the Secondary Tier to be similar to the Primary Tier, with a number of representatives to be selected by the Inspectors throughout the country. No-one would accept this, as it was felt that some types of schools already had Parents associations set up on a National basis which represented their particular interests and that an umbrella group with delegates selected by the Associations would work best.

This was finally agreed upon and was written into the Constitution in 1987. The National Parents Council, Primary and Post Primary, were inaugurated on the 8th June, 1985 by Mrs Gemma Hussey TD. The new Council, the minister said, would have the same rights to consultation as the Management and Teachers unions.