At METNS, we work towards maximising the potential for building a genuine partnership between the professional, objective role of the teacher and the necessarily personal involvement of the parent/ guardian in their child’s education. Our school community emphasises individual and collective responsibility for the children’s education, for the financial and practical support of the school, for discipline, for communication and for the on-going development of the school. The Board of Management is accountable to the Patron for upholding the school’s ethos and there is an obligation on the board to involve both the parents/guardians and staff in building an educational community where the children benefit from the skills, talents and gifts all parties bring.
We try to foster a democratic spirit in each child so as to enable them all to live by, to respect and embrace the basic ideas of democracy, kindness and fair play.
Official democratic structures include Educate Together (national body), The DSP (school patron), The Board of Management, the Parent-Teacher Association, the Ethos Committee, the Student Council and the Green School Committee. All members of the school community are invited to become involved.
Positive Illustrations of Democratic Practice:
- Active P.T.A.
- Parent/guardian information meetings
- Parent/guardian involvement at multiple levels co-ordinated through volunteer list e.g. paired reading initiatives, class visits to assist and/or present, accompanying school tours, gardening.
- Parent/guardian consultation for policies and procedures
- Rotation of jobs and responsibilities in the class
- Discussion and negotiation of class rules and charter
- Restorative Practice is used to resolve conflict
- We encourage all members of our community to respect each other in their speech, behaviour and attitude.
- Fundraising activities contribute to community spirit, e.g. Copper Kilometre, Winter and Summer Fairs.
- Each class has a parent/guardian representative to liaise with PTA and to keep other parents aware of current issues.
- We encourage collective responsibility for school building and grounds.
- We promote active citizenship and civic responsibility through a variety of initiatives, including Fair Trade week, Inclusion week DLRCC (Grandparents’ Day), One Day Together, and the Green Flag.
- We foster a sense of social responsibility through fundraising drives, such as ice-cream day for Down Syndrome Ireland, support for Blood Bikes, friendship bracelets for Amnesty International, tuck shop for The Hope Foundation, etc.