A parents’ group set up amidst ongoing unrest at De La Salle College have called for the school’s management to be stood down
The Concerned Parents’ Committee last night released a statement describing the positions of the existing principal, vice principals and Board of Governors as “untenable” and asked that they be stood down “in order to facilitate the full compliment of teaching staff”.
Parents have been staging a protest at the gates of the Edenmore Drive post-primary for an hour each morning from last week, when it was revealed that a quarter of the teaching staff at the school were off on long-term sick.
The parents have been joined by Sixth Form pupils who are concerned unrest in the school could dramatically impact their exam performance.
The parents said: “It has become apparent that over the past 18 months, due process and procedures have not been adhered to. This has ultimately resulted in the breakdown of confidence, trust, respect and communication amongst pupils, parents and teachers.”
The committee said that they have been “overwhelmed” by the support for their campaign that they have received support for a resolution of the issue from local political representatives.
“This committee continues to welcome the opportunity to speak with other persons and in the first instance would lobby the Minister for Education and the Commissioner for Children to reach out to concerned parents and publicly condemn the previous and ongoing issues and to work exhaustively in finding a rectification to these matters, particularly for those students facing imminent GCSE and A-Level exams,” the parents added.
“It is the view of this committee, on behalf of all concerned parents and pupils, that the positions of the existing principal, vice principals and current Board of Governors are untenable and that in order to facilitate the return of the full compliment of teaching staff, should therefore be stood down with immediate effect, so that a full and thorough independent investigation of all that has occurred pertaining to the education of our sons, wider school curriculum and management of the school can be carried out.”
