Role of Cairde (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.
Introduction
Over the years there have been many parents who have given great support and help to Gaelscoil na Camóige. The children have benefited greatly due to the tireless fundraising activities undertaken by Cairde. Activities such as Arts Week, First Holy Communion Party and the Graduation Night are all very important to the children. The members of Cairde have proven to be excellent workers and organisers of these events.
Cairde have historically played a very important role in Gaelscoil na Camóige since its foundation in 1993 and we hope that this will continue for many years to come.
Therefore we wish to establish a Constitution to explain and clarify the excellent work and effective running of Cairde.
Although Cairde may organise many activities, these activities should all assist the committee to achieve its two main roles within the school:
To work in partnership with the Principal, Board of Management and the whole school community for the betterment of the children in the school
To support and empower parents to be active in the best interests of their children’s educational lives
Cairde must ensure that they
- Communicate with the entire parent body
- Represent the entire parent body
Memberships/Committee Structures of Cairde
All parents and guardians of pupils of Gaelscoil na Cámoige shall be deemed to be members of Cairde.
An Executive of Cairde shall carry out the business of Cairde.
At its first meeting of each school year, Cairde shall elect, for a term of one year, Officers of Cairde, namely a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and Treasurer from amongst its members. A simple majority will determine the outcome of the election for those posts. If there is more than one nominee, for either or both a vote can be given to all families in the school in a secret ballot. The Officers may hold the positions for a maximum of two successive years, ( not derived from NPC, school’s own suggestion) but must be re-elected by the members of Cairde at the end of the first year.
Cairde shall hold at least one meeting each school term and sufficient meetings to carry out its business effectively.
The Executive of Cairde may, at its discretion, set up any sub-committee it deems necessary for specific purposes.
All decisions of Cairde shall be decided by a simple majority of all members voting on an issue and in the event of a tied vote, the Chairperson shall have a casting vote.
- There must be 5 parents and a Cairde Executive present at a Cairde Meeting for a decision to be made.
- A vote can only be given by a member who is present at the meeting.
Establishing a Cairde committee
- While all parents are members of Cairde, not all can, or need to, be involved in the day-to-day business of organising the work. It is for this reason that parents in a school elect a Chair, Vice Chair and Committee.
- The committee is the team of people who manage the tasks of the Cairde on behalf of all the parents.
- Sub-Committees can be established by the Cairde Committee to carry out specific tasks on its behalf. Where a sub-committee is established they must report back to the main Cairde committee.
Electing the Cairde committee
The committee is elected at the Last Meeting of the school year, to which all parents of children in the school are invited. It is the responsibility of the outgoing committee to ensure that the elections are run efficiently.
Taking nominations
- A committee is elected by asking for nominations from those present; nominations may also be requested, in advance of the meeting,
- Both Parent Representatives on the Board of Management are automatically members of Cairde, however they are not permitted to accept an official role in the association.
Voting system
- Cairde like most Parent Associations uses a simple voting system, based on who gets the highest number of votes.
- Participation and the right of all parent voices to be heard are fundamental to the running of Cairde. All parents have access to and are given the opportunity to vote.
- Voting procedure must be transparent and fair.
- Voting will take place in June of that year to ensure that the new committee is organised for the following September
- There will be a handover period in September. The outgoing committee will assist the incoming committee and pass on information, contacts etc. gathered and recorded during their time on the committee.
Counting the Votes
- Two people at the meeting are nominated as tellers to count the votes. Votes are always counted in public. The votes are retained until the next election.
- Anyone who is a parent of a child in the school can be nominated to be on the Cairde committee as long as this is with their knowledge and consent. Cairde must ensure that all parents understand what it means to be a committee member.
Term of office of the committee
- The committee serves for one school year. That is from one school year to the next. It is good practice to have a combination of experienced and new members.
- At the first meeting all committee members step down, but they can be re-elected as long as they continue to be a parent of a child in the school.
- The Officers may hold the positions for a maximum of two successive years ( not NPC guidelines, school’s suggestion) but must be re-elected by the members of Cairde each year.
Activities of Cairde include;
- Organising fund raising events for the school.
- Organising information/social events for the school.
- Providing support/organisational input to major school events, e.g. communions, confirmations, graduation night etc.
- Contributing to school newsletter.
- Helping to organise and supervise extra curricular activities.
- Preparing school diaries/calendars.
- Arranging talks on topics of interest to parents, e.g. guest speaker on parenting/discipline etc.
Fund Raising
The Fund raising aspect of Cairde is hugely important and beneficial to the school and it has been tremendously successful in raising funds for the school. The Principal will draw up a list of school requirements with the aid of the teachers and Board of Management. The approval of the board is needed prior to any funds being raised and ultimately the expenditure of the funds raised on behalf of the school is the responsibility of the Board of Management. There is an excellent working relationship between Cairde and the Board and Cairde are invited to meet the Board before all its regular meetings.
Finance
- There are two signatories of Cheques. Normally the chosen signatories are the Treasurer and the Chairperson. Expenditure must be pre-agreed with the Board of Management.
- Cairde has a bank account for the purpose of administering the funds raised. At each Cairde Meeting summary updates are provided to keep all members fully briefed on financial position. Full Income and Expenditure Account is maintained and presented at the Cairde End of School Year Meeting.
- A Treasurer is appointed from among the Cairde Committee members and is responsible for keeping account of the income and expenditure of the Cairde finances. The Treasurer gives a statement of income and expenditure at each committee meeting.
- Cairde will provide an update on their accounts i.e recent expenditures, incomes, final balance to the Board of Management ahead of each Board meeting.
It is worth noting that while Cairde will have many topics to discuss and decide upon, the meetings should not be used to discuss or raise complaints about work of teachers or indeed pupils. This can happen sometimes inadvertently but the correct forum for these conversations is directly to the Principal or indeed through the school complaints procedure.
The term “Parent” also refers to “Legal Guardian” in this document.
- Cairde is an integral part of our school community and we look forward to welcoming all parents to get involved in school activities.
- Ní neart go cur le chéile!
This constitution is drawn up as an aid to parents and was prepared based on the relevant legislation and guidelines including the NPC Guidelines and the CPSMA Guide for Boards of Management.
Signature of Chairperson: ______________________
Date: ________________
