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EDUCATION ACT, 1998
SECTION 28 - Grievance and Other Procedures
The following is the full text of
Section 28.
28.—(1) The Minister,
following consultation with patrons of recognised schools, national
associations of parents, recognised school management organisations
and recognised trade unions and staff associations representing
teachers, may from time to time prescribe procedures in accordance
with which—
a) the parent of a student or,
in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years,
the student, may appeal to the board against a decision of
a teacher or other member of staff of a school,
b) grievances of students, or their
parents, relating to the students’ school (other than
those which may be dealt
with under paragraph (a) or section 29), shall be heard, and
c) appropriate remedial action
shall, where necessary, be taken as a consequence of an appeal
or in response to a grievance.
(2) In prescribing procedures for
the purposes of this section the Minister shall have regard
to the desirability of determining appeals and resolving grievances
in the school concerned.
This section provides for procedures to be drafted for the purpose
of processing complaints by parents against teachers or other members
of the staff of a school.
The new Section 28 procedures
are intended to provide:
• an informal and semi formal
stage for addressing parental complaints; and
• a formal stage for investigation and determination by the
boa rd of management.
The proposed procedures emphasise
the importance of adhering to due process and the principles of
natural justice, maintaining confidentiality and achieving early
resolution .
However, at this juncture, there
are a number of outstanding matters to be resolved.
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