Scoil Uí Mhuirí

Scoil Uí Mhuirí Parents' Association

Officers 2011/2012
Chairperson: John Molloy
Secretary: Eranda Langeveldt
Treasurer: Geraldine Fussey
PRO: Julia Keane
Board of Management Parents Representatives: Eranda Langeveldt and John Molloy

Meeting Dates: the second Wednesday of every month at 7.30pm in the School

The Monthly Parents Association Meeting is open to all parents

The Role of the Parents Association

Provision is made in the Education Act 1998 to allow parents of students of a school to set up a Parents Association. The Act states that:

The parents of students of a recognised school may establish and maintain from among their number, a parents association for the school and membership of that association shall be open to all parents of students of that school.

The parents association in a school works with the principal, staff and board of management to build effective co-operation and partnership between home and school. The role of the parents association is set down in the Education Act 1998 as follows:

A parents association shall promote the interests of the students in a school in co-operation with the Board, Principal, teachers and students.

The Education Act also sets out two broad tasks for a parents association which are:

-To advise the Principal or the Board on matters relating to the school
-To adopt a programme of activities which will promote the involvement of parents in the operation of the school, in consultation with the Principal.

To operate effectively as a Parents Association you need to have mechanisms in place whereby you can establish the views of the parents and pupils on matters relating to the school. In this way you can select activities that will promote parental and student involvement.

While all parents of pupils of a school are members of the parents association, the majority do not need to be involved in the day-to-day activities of the association. Usually the parents association will elect a committee who manage the responsibilities of the parent association on behalf of all the parents. The size and formation of the committee is usually determined by the size of the school and the amount of activities to be undertaken.

The following are some of the activities in which Parents Associations might be involved:
Organising information/social events for new parents to the school
Welcome events for new students to the school
Talks on topics of interest to parents, e.g. guest speaker on parenting/discipline etc
Preparing school handbooks/calendars
Providing support/organisational input to major school events, e.g. communions, confirmations, debs etc.
Channelling parent’s views on school policy issues to the Principal/Board
Contributing to school newsletter
Helping to organise and supervise extra curricular activities
Organising fund raising events for the school.

Fund Raising

Parents Associations are entitled to raise funds for the administration and activities of the association. A Parents Association is expected to consult with the school board, which includes the Principal, about fund raising as the approval of the board is normally needed prior to funds being raised. Any funds raised must be used for the purpose for which the money was collected. Full accounts should be maintained and presented at the Parents Association AGM.