The Education Secretary, Fr Brendan Ludlow, offers the following update for new Boards of Management in primary schools:
(1) The official “Board Nomination Forms” which Chairpersons/Parish Priests sent to Bishop Smith have all been processed and I have completed and forwarded “Appendix form F” to the Minister in respect of each of those schools. The Constitution for Boards 2011 clearly states that having allowed ten working days, schools can presume their Board to be formally constituted. Schools which have not completed, signed and submitted the “Board Nomination Form” to Bishop Smith should do so without delay as their Boards are not properly constituted. The Form is available on the Education Pages of the this website.
(2) Schools which have scheduled a BoM meeting may click here for a guidance document on what must be included on the Agenda of the first meeting. Please note in particular the new obligation to include a child protection report on the Agenda of each Board Meeting.
(3) All members of the Board must sign Appendix G of the Constitution at the first meeting of the Board. This form should then be inserted with the Board minutes. When they sign Appendix G each member is agreeing to uphold the Constitution and all DES Guidelines, they are also promising to uphold Board confidentiality and agreeing to uphold the ethos of the school. Members of the Board should be clear that they are acting at all times on behalf of the Patron, that the Board is a corporate body and that they are not “elected” to report back to their constituent bodies.
(4) I re-itterate the policy that the chairperson and the treasurer are to be the signatories on the cheque book. The Principal Teacher cannot hold the office of Treasurer. A third signatory should only sign cheques in exceptional circumstances e.g. if the Chair or Treasurer are out of the country.
(5) Click here for a copy of the CPSMA January Newsletter which will be sent out to all schools in hard copy in the week ahead. It will be of particular interest to those engaged in appointment processes.
