Is a Parents Association a legal requirement?

Ginger83

I don't get involved in these things as I have seen time and time again parents and neighbours falling out but I'd like to know are these associations a legal requirement for a school?

kippy

Nope. A board of management yes, a parents association, no.

Parents association will, like BoM, be overwhelmed by local dominant political party wannabes anyway.

Ginger83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118859037#Comment_118859037

You never spoke a truer word. Last year's situation was that new PA was voted in. New principle tried to force them to sign things they were uncomfortable with so all resigned. Previous PA had to stay on.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118859037#Comment_118859037

So who beat you in the BOM election?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118859111#Comment_118859111

Right, because that's it. You got me

I'm just looking at my kids BoM and local TD is there, as is the local councillor ( who also sits on parents' council).

The parents' council representative, to the BoM, is branch chair.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118859408#Comment_118859408

The parents nominee roles on the BOM are by election within the parent body. If you want to be on the BOM, win the election.

I’ve never heard of TD and a Councillor on the BOM. There are two community roles, appointed by the rest of the BOM. If you want to influence this, get yourself on the BOM by winning the election.

Talk about being contrary, for the sake of it. I don't want to be on BoM but I know people who do and are far more qualified (professionally) than the party members

TD ran a full campaign for general parents vote. What parent can compete with that?

Councillor is local rep to the board.

Party branch head is the Parent council rep. Parent council is swamped by branch members, it's like a branch meeting with last minute postponements/time changes/truncating based on branch requirements. Seen several parents leave because of it, myself included, as branch members control based on numbers

So, yeah, going up against a dominant local party is so easy.

Ginger83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118859584#Comment_118859584

Sounds toxic

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118859584#Comment_118859584

Actually, any parent can easily compete with the politician for the BOM election. It’s not about big campaigns or posters or advertising. It’s about 1-1 conversations, gathering votes one or two at a time.

I was the only bloke on the Parents Association when I started. Others started joining, one by one, and we had close to gender balance by the time I finished up.

Take it back for the community.

Big Bag of Chips

Is the TD a parent of a child in the school? If so they are perfectly entitled to be the parents representative if they've been voted in by the parent body. You don't need any qualification to be the parents representative. It's not a professional role. You just need to be a parent and be willing to get things done. And be popular enough amongst the parent body that they know who you are and will vote for you if they think you'll be a good representative!

Are the branch members parents of children in the school? If so they are equally entitled to be on the parents association. Every parent is a member of the parents association. Very few however tend to show up to meetings. The parents association committee is generally elected by picking whoever is there and whoever is willing to take on the roles. People who are active in the community are likely to put themselves forward for committee roles. It's why it's nearly always the same people involved in everything... Because others just aren't bothered enough.

Just on that note, we have no politicians on our BOM or parents association. But we do have the same handful of parents who are involved in everything. Parents association, GAA, soccer club, drama etc. Generally because they like doing that sort of thing. Some people don't want to be involved, and that's fine too.