COUNTY GALWAY VEC WELCOMES NEW SUSPENSION POWERS

Date Published: 17-Jun-2008

Members of the County Galway VEC have welcomed a new resolution giving VEC school principals more leeway when suspending students.Under the new rules principals will have power to suspend students for upto 5 days in 'exceptional circumstances.'Previously students could only be suspended for 3 days without referring the matter to Boards of Management and the VEC.At a meeting of the VEC this week members said this was a positive development in light of a recent 'serious incident' in a VEC school in the countyCouncillors said the school principal in question was criticised for being too lenient when punishing students involved in the incident but the members pointed out the principal could only act within his power to suspend students for 3 days.Speaking to Galway Bay FM News, Mountbellew councillor and teacher Sinead Connaughton says that at times a 3 day suspension is not adequate.