Questions over Parents’ Council policy

AS the principal of a primary school for the past 12 years, I have often suspected that the National Parents’ Council (NPC) did not reflect the views of the majority of parents in this country.

Listening to the radio the other morning, I felt my fears were justified when I heard the president of the NPC - Secondary state that its new policy of not using buses without seatbelts from September next was formulated on the basis of a "ring around".

I know of no other body that claims to represent such a large number of people nationally which forms policy in such a haphazard fashion.

If the teachers of this country or their unions behaved like this, I could just imagine the reaction of that same body.

I await with great interest the percentage of the NPC's members who will comply with this new policy come September and opt to drive their children to school or, better still, encourage them to cycle or walk, thus advancing another of the organisation's policies, ie, combating obesity in children instead of asking schools to do it for them.

Tom Cunnane

Principal

Kill National School

Kill

Co Kildare