PARENTAL COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
Only those complaints about teachers which are
written and signed by parents/guardians of pupils may be investigated formally
by the Board of Management, except where those complaints are deemed by the
Board to be:
I. on matters of professional competence and which
are to be referred to the
Department of Education;
II. frivolous or vexatious complaints and complaints
which do not impinge on the
work of a teacher in a school;
III. complaints in which either party has recourse
to law or to another existing
procedure.
Unwritten complaints not in the above categories may
be processed informally as set
out in Stage 1 of this procedure.
Stage 1
1.1 A parent/guardian who wishes to make a complaint
should, unless there are local
arrangements to the contrary, approach the class
teacher with a view to resolving
the complaint.
1.2 Where the parent/guardian is unable to resolve
the complaint with the class
teacher she/he should approach the principal teacher
with a view to resolving
1.3 If the complaint is still unresolved the parent/
guardian should raise the matter
with the chairperson of the board of management with
a view to resolving it.
Stage 2
2.1 If the complaint is still unresolved and the
parent/guardian wishes to pursue the
matter further she/he should lodge the complaint in
writing with the chairperson
of the board of management.
2.2 The chairperson should bring the precise nature
of the written complaint to the
notice of the teacher and seek to resolve the matter
between the parties within 5
days of receipt of the written complaint.
Stage 3
3.1 If the complaint is not resolved informally, the
chairperson should,
subject to the general authorisation of the Board
and except in those cases where
the chairperson deems the particular authorisation
of the Board to be required:
(a) supply the teacher with a copy of the written
complaint; and
b) arrange a meeting with the teacher and, where
applicable, the principal teacher
with a view to resolving the complaint. Such a
meeting should take place within
10 days of receipt of the written complaint.
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Stage 4
1.1 If the complaint is still not resolved the
chairperson should make a formal report
to the Board within 10 days of the meeting referred
to in 3.1 (b).
1.2 If the Board considers that the complaint is not
substantiated the teacher and the
complainant should be so informed within 3 days of
the Board meeting.
1.3 If the Board considers that the complaint is
substantiated or that it warrants further investigation it proceeds as follows:
(a) The teacher should be informed that the
investigation is proceeding to the
next stage;
(b) The teacher should be supplied with a copy of
any written evidence in
support of the complaint;
(c) The teacher should be requested to supply a
written statement to the
Board in response to the complaint;
(d) The teacher should be afforded an opportunity to
make a presentation of
case to the Board. The teacher would be entitled to
be accompanied and
assisted by a friend at any such meeting;
(e) The Board may arrange a meeting with the
complainant if it considers
such to be required. The complainant would be
entitled to be accompanied
and assisted by a friend at any such meeting;
(f) The meeting of the board of management referred
to in (d) and (e)
will take place within 10 days of the meeting
referred to in 3.1 (b).
Stage 5
5.1 When the Board has completed its investigation,
the chairperson should
convey the decision of the Board in writing to the
teacher and the complainant within 5 days of the meeting of the Board.
5.2 The decision of the Board shall be final.
5.3 This Complaints Procedure shall be reviewed
after three years;
5.4 CPSMA or INTO may withdraw from this agreement
having given the other party 3 months’ notice of intention to do so. (In this
agreement ‘days’ means school
days.)