National
Parents Council Post-Primary is a voluntary group. It has a board
of 18 members who work on behalf of parents and children without
remuneration. They give their time when and where they can so are
often not contactable immediately but will always return your call.
Mrs Gemma Hussey TD inaugurated National Parents Council Post-Primary
on The 8th June 1985. The new Council, the minister said, would
have the same rights to consultation as the Management and Teachers
unions. In recent years NPCpp has become a limited company and is
now named in the Education Act 1998.
National Parents Council Post-Primary was put in place to be the
umbrella group for parent associations in the secondary section
of the Irish education system. The Department wanted parental representation
at second level to be similar to the Primary sector but this was
not acceptable to parents.
The secondary system contains a number of different types of school,
Catholic voluntary schools, religious minority schools, schools
run by the Christian Brothers, Community and Comprehensive schools
and VEC schools. Each of these sectors has their own National Parent
Association. It was agreed that an umbrella group with delegates
selected by the associations would work best.
These
five national groups were formed into National Parents Council post
primary to facilitate a more united form of communication with the
Department of Education. It suited the Department as they could
now request one person rather then a number of people when parental
representation was required.
The original role was to give a united voice to the parents, through
their constituent bodies, in the second level system. Each constituent
body of NPCpp, through nominated delegates, was to use that forum
to promote the ideas and aspirations of the parents at local and
regional level. An issue at local level could travel to regional
level, then onto national level and finally be brought to NPCpp.
From NPCpp it would then be brought to the attention of the Department.
Currently NPCpp represents parents on much more than education committees. They are in areas such as
Health, Underage drinking, Children's rights, Special needs, Garda youth advisory committee, Anti-poverty, Anti-drug committees County Development Boards.
To be seriously involved in a way that parents should be requires
a substantial financial commitment; this is not in place at the
moment. The current level of funding allows a token involvement
for parents but does not address the development of working parent
groups at school level. It also fails to enable training and research,
a necessary part of being a full partner in any system.
Parents are supposed to cover the expense of:
Training, Development, Research, Representation Communicating with parents
On a budget of approximately 25p per student per year, a grand total of £92,000.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Our aim is to be involved in an effective way as equal partners
in the education system. To do this we have to
Promote the role of parents in the education of their children. Protect the role of parents as the primary educators of their children. Involve parentsactively in all aspects of the education of their children. Provide an effective voice for parents in the development of an elected parents group
in each school. Monitor and be involved in educational development and educational opportunities.
Our objective is to achieve the means to do the above.
This will require real financial commitment form the Government
Personal commitment from parents.
Registration No: 258143 Charitable Status No: CHY 12800
Registered
Office: Unit 5, Glasnevin Business Centre, Ballyboggan Road, Dublin 11.
Health, 