Dempsey makes U-turn on half days

EDUCATION Minister Noel Dempsey has signalled a U-turn on an earlier decision to ban a tradition of civic leaders granting half days to schoolchildren.

Teacher unions had joined Cork’s Lord Mayor in protesting against an 83-year-old tradition of marking school visits with a half day’s leave.

In a reconciliatory gesture, the minister conceded that schools, required to complete a minimum number of teaching days, have local flexibility on the issue.

He said it was also essential that parents should be consulted and sufficient notice given of any proposed school closure.

Lord Mayor Colm Burke, who last week defied a directive from the minister and offered a number of schools in Cork the traditional half day, welcomed the minister’s decision.

“I wouldn’t describe it as a U-turn,” said the Lord Mayor, “it’s more of a concession which allows for greater local flexibility.”

A solicitor by profession, Fine Gael member Mr Burke said he had the greatest admiration for the minister. “He has a difficult portfolio but I believe he’s doing a good job,” said the Lord Mayor.

Mr Burke said that while maintaining a tradition established by Terence McSwiney, his visits to schools would also promote an education project in which he was personally involved. After a visit to Africa, the Lord Mayor is presenting a 10-minute edited video to show comparisons between the political and educational structures.

Welcoming the clarification, in a letter from the minister on Friday last, the Lord Mayor said the department had initially insisted school principals had no local discretion on the issue.

However, Mr Dempsey said his key concern was to secure the integrity of the school year. He noted: “This does not necessarily rule out half-day closures but it does require that they happen within a context or framework.”

He pointed out that schools are required to complete a prescribed minimum number of teaching days, 183 full days for primary schools and 167 full days for secondary schools.

“Once schools adhere to the agreed standardisation, they have local flexibility in determining how they make up the required number of teaching days.”

He added: “The department does not centrally determine whether or not a school opts to have a day or half day closure for any particular event, once the overall number of teaching days is delivered by the school over the course of the year.”