The Administrative and Financial Guidelines for Community and Comprehensive Schools, published by the Department of Education and Science (DES) in 2003, is the definitive document which sets out the requirements of the DES on the matters referred to in this section. These Guidelines have been circulated to all schools and are available on the DES website.
The Administrative and Financial Guidelines for Community and Comprehensive Schools should be read in conjunction with the First and Second Schedules to the Model Lease for Community Schools, or the individual lease or agreement executed in the case of an individual Community School or Comprehensive School and in the context of the Education Act, 1998, Part 1.2. (1).
The Board of Management is responsible for the government and direction of the school, the use of school resources and the management of budgetary allocations made to the school by the Minister for Education and Science. To discharge this duty the Board should ensure that there is an adequate system of control, delegation and accountability in place, so as to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of school services and school administration. While the Board may delegate many of its responsibilities to the Principal/Secretary and, in some circumstances, to sub-committees of the Board, it must remain aware of those responsibilities and of its accountability to the Minister for their discharge. Sub-committees should be assigned very specific duties and terms of reference.
ACCS recommends that the Board of Management establish a Finance Subcommittee, to advise, in consultation with the Principal, the Board of Management on the management of the school’s financial affairs.
The accountability of the Board of Management demands that regular returns are made to the Department of Education and Science and to other statutory bodies. These returns fall into two categories – Financial and Administrative.