Extend supervision for pupils, urge parents

PAID supervision of pupils should be extended before and after school to mind children being dropped off early, according to school managers.

The National Parents Council-Primary (NPC-P) has called for a Government-funded scheme to ensure children brought to school before classes begin can be supervised.

The Department of Justice has already begun consultations with parent groups and school managers with a view to making after- school childcare available in schools.

But the Catholic Primary School Managers' Association (CPSMA) said the most effective way of resolving the issue would be to increase the budget for supervision by teachers.

CPSMA general secretary Dan O'Connor said: "We would like a situation wherebyarrangements for paid supervision is extended to cover half an hour before school starts and 15 minutes after school."

Fr O'Connor said arrangements are working well in some rural schools, where parents provide supervision on a voluntary basis for 15 minutes before classes each morning. But he said a paid scheme would be the only way to guarantee people would be in place.

NPC-P chief executive Fionnuala Kilfeather said: "There has been very little commitment on the matter, although some action is beginning on Justice Minister Michael McDowell's proposal that schools be used for after-school childcare."

The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) said it would be willing to consider constructive proposals on an extension of the supervision scheme.

INTO general secretary John Carr said: "Some parents take advantage of the fact that many principals come to school early to get office work done and assume that the principal will be available in the event of an emergency or if it rains and the child needs shelter."

A spokesperson of the Department of Education said: "Subject to the authority of the board of management, it is the responsibility of the principal teacher to organise and participate in the effective supervision of pupils during breaks, lunch periods, assembly and dismissal".