Constitution - Wexford Education Support Centre

Constitution: Wexford Education Support Centre

Preamble

‘Education Support Centre’ means a place in which services are provided for schools, teachers, parents, boards and other relevant persons which support them in carrying out their functions in respect of the provision of education which is recognized for that purpose by the Minister in accordance with subsection (2) of the Education Act 1998.

This Constitution will at all times be in accordance with the documents ‘Guidelines for the Administration of Education Centres and Financial and other Procedures’ issued by the Department of Education and Science.

1. Title

The Centre shall be known as “Wexford Education Support Centre” or “Ionad Tacaíochta Oideachais Loch Garman”.

2. Objectives

The main object for which the body is established is to advance education through the establishment and operation of an Educational Centre to provide continuous professional development and support for teachers and the wider education community to develop and strengthen teaching and learning capacity so as to maximise childrens’ opportunities to achieve their full potential.

3. Aims and Objectives

The aims, objectives and functions of Wexford Education Support Centre, to the extent that its resources permit, will be

• 1 To provide continuous professional development and support for teachers and the wider education community, through meeting locally researched and identified teacher and school community needs and also through involvement in national in-service programmes.
• 2 To act, as far as possible, as a meeting and resource centre for the local school community
• 3 To encourage research and innovation and other educational and cultural functions as the Management Committee may from time to time prescribe.
• 4 To be involved, as a strategic resource within education, in a range of national and other projects, programmes and initiatives as may be decided by the Minister, following consultation and in partnership with Education Centres, for implementation in the education system from time to time.
• 5 To develop expertise in key areas as agreed by the Centres in consultation and partnership with the Department and to share such throughout the Education Centre network and the education system in general.
• 6 To co-operate and engage with other Education Support Centres so as to ensure an effective network of Education Centres is established.
• 7 To sustain and continue to develop links with national and international agencies in the promotion of school leadership and the development of the school as a learning community.
• 8 To actively promote its role in regard to all of its functions.
• 9 To provide other services and supports as may be requested by the Minister and observe the terms of circulars issued by the DES.        

4. Membership

4.1 Membership is open to teachers who are normally resident or teaching in the general area in which a Centre is located and who are registered with the Teaching Council.

a) Representative of parents and school management in a Centre’s area who   have been nominated to the Centre’s Management Committee in accordance with the Centre’s constitution.

b) Retired teachers

c) Allied personnel in specialist areas such as legal and financial areas may be       nominated to the Centre’s Management Committee.

4.2 The Management Committee may, by a two thirds majority of those present and voting, admit to membership of the Centre other persons who shall be proposed and seconded by two members of the Management Committee.

4.3 The Management Committee may revoke membership of the Centre by a two thirds majority of those present and voting where such action has been proposed and seconded by two members of the Management Committee.

4.4 Nonmembers will not be admitted to meetings, including sub-committee meetings and the AGM except by invitation of the Management Committee and will then be bound by current Centre policy.

5.  Management Committee and Officers

• The Management Committee shall be responsible for ensuring that the Centre carries out its full range of functions in an effective and efficient manner and that all its guidelines, procedures and other circulars, terms and conditions relevant to the Centre, as notified by the Department are fully and completely observed
• The Centre shall be managed by a Committee of between seven and ten teachers elected annually by members at the AGM. Due regard will be given to achieving a balance between Primary and Post Primary Teachers
• The Management Committee may co-opt a maximum of three other members to act on the Committee.(a) There should be not more than two members representing parents in the Centre’s area. Arrangement for selection of Parents will be decided by the Management Committee. (b) Where possible the Management Committee should include a Primary Teacher, Post Primary teacher, a Principal, a Teacher/Lecturer from a third level college, a Parent’s Representative, a representative of early childhood education and a retired member of the teaching profession.
• Directors are ex officio members of Committees and are secretaries to Committees but are not allowed to act as Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson or treasurer.

•  The officers of the Management Committee shall consist of Chairperson, Deputy-chairperson and Honorary Treasurer elected annually by the Management Committee from among its members. Where officer positions become vacant during the year, these may be filled for the remainder of the year by the Management Committee in the same manner as the original appointments were made. The Chairperson will be elected from the teacher members of the Management Committee as will at least one other of the officers.
• A person cannot be a member of more than one education Support Centre Management Committee simultaneously.

• The Management Committee shall be entrusted with the general administration of the Centre and shall have control of all funds and assets.
• Failure to constitute a Management Committee: In the event that it is not possible to constitute a Management Committee as provided above, the outgoing committee shall remain in place until an Extraordinary General Meeting is called.
• In the event of difficulties arising in relation to the formulation of a Management Committee the Department of Education and Skills shall be informed.

Guidelines for Committee Meetings

• The attendance of non-members at meetings is permitted only by invitation of the Management Committee.
• A Recording Secretary should be appointed prior to each meeting to assist with taking minutes.
• Where possible, Management Committee meetings should take place at least six times a year.

Sub-committees

Management Committees shall establish sub-committees as outlined in the Financial Guidelines and any other sub-committees that they deem essential to the efficient running of the Centre.

6. Annual General Meeting

6.1 Policy shall be defined at the Annual General Meeting.

6.2 This meeting, which will be open to teaching members of the Centre, shall be held once the external audited accounts are received and approved, of which ten working days’ notice shall be given to members.

6.3 The following business shall be transacted:

a) The election of a Management Committee

b) Consideration of the Chairperson’s Report

c) Consideration of the Director’s Annual Report of activities in respect of the twelve-month period ending the preceding 31^st December.

d) Consideration of the Honorary Treasurer’s statement of Accounts for the period ending 31^st December of the previous year.

e) Consideration of a Programme of Activities by the Centre for the period ending 31^st December of the following year.

6.4 Motions to be discussed shall be notified to the Director in writing and received by him/her at least five working days beforehand. Included with each motion shall be the name of the proposer and seconder. To be carried, such motions shall require a simple majority of those present and voting.

6.5 Amendments to the Constitution shall be notified to the Director in writing and received by him/her at least five working days beforehand. Included with such amendments shall be the name of the proposer and seconder. To be carried, such amendments require a two- thirds majority of those present and voting.

6.6 The Director shall call an Extraordinary General Meeting on the instructions of the Management Committee or within fifteen days of receipt of a written requisition signed by fifty members. A notice of such meeting shall be sent to each school in the Centre’s catchment area at least five working days before the date of the meeting. A copy of the annual report will be forwarded to the Department within one month of the AGM and the Revenue Commissioners on request.

7.  Director

7.1 The Management Committee, subject to the sanction of the Department of Education and Skills, shall appoint a Director.

7.2 The Director shall be an ex-officio member of the Management Committee, without voting rights.

7.3 The Director shall be responsible for ensuring that the Centre carries out its full range of functions in an effective and efficient manner and that all its guidelines, procedures and any other functions, terms and conditions relevant to the Centre, as notified by the Department, are fully and completely carried out.

8.  Finances

8.1 The Centre may receive and administer funds from the Government and other sources for the purposes which are consistent with this constitution.

8.2 The financial year shall be from January 1^st to December 31^st.

8.3 The Centre’s funds shall be retained in a bank account or accounts.

8.4 The Director shall be empowered to retain a sum not exceeding three hundred euro as petty cash.

8.5 The Management Committee shall annually present a Financial Report, together with a statement of income and expenditure, to the Annual General Meeting and the Department of Education and Skills.

8.6 The Management Committee shall be empowered to levy fees to cover the cost of services it provides.

8.7 Payments to Wexford Education Support Centre shall, as a rule be made by online payment where possible.

8.8 The signatories to the Centre’s accounts shall be the Honorary Treasurer and Director. Two signatures only are required.

8.9 The financial management of the Centre will be in accordance with the policies and procedures in place at the Centre which shall include but will not be limited to the guidelines issued by the Department and the Performance Delivery Agreement between the Centre and the Department.

9.  Income and Property

The income and property of Education Centre shall be applied solely towards the promotion of its main object(s) as set forth in this Constitution.   No portion of the Education Centre’s income and property shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend, bonus or otherwise howsoever by way of profit, to the members of the Management Committee.

However, nothing shall prevent any payment in good faith by the Education Centre of:

1. a) Reasonable and proper remuneration to any member of the Management Committee of the Education Centre for any services rendered to the Education Centre.
2. b) Reasonable and proper out-of-pocket expenses incurred by any Officer in connection with their attendance to any matter affecting the Education Centre.

10.  Winding-up

If upon the winding up or dissolution of the Education Centre there remains, after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, any property/stock/equipment/cash and assets of any type they will become the property of the Minister for Education/Department of Education and Skills.