History of Compass by Geraldine O ’ Neill Compass Executive Committee Member
In the early 1980s Gemma Hussey , the then Minister for Education created the National Parents Council ( Post Primary ) - NCPpp . The purpose of this council was to be a conduit between parents and the Department of Education and Science ( D . E . S ). The membership of the NCPpp board was drawn from constituent bodies which represent the different types of
Ms . Gemma Hussey , former schools in the Second
Minister for Education
Level Education Sector , such as VEC ( ETB ) Schools , Catholic Schools , Community and Comprehensive Schools . The schools , which had been founded by Protestant Boards of Governors , were in the body known as The
National Protestant Secondary Parents Association - N . P . S . S . P . A . In 1999 this name was changed to The Co-operation of Minority Religions and Protestant Parents Associations ( post primary ) – Compass .
Ms Hussey ’ s plan was that all Second level schools would have a Parent / Teacher Association or a Parent Association . Each association would elect / send one or two parents to represent their school on its constituent body . In turn these parents would report back from the constituent body to the parent ’ s association in their school . The Compass Committee is the conduit for Compass affiliated schools to the National Parents Council ( post primary ) and thence to the Department of Education and Science .
In the 1980s N . P . S . S . P . A . met once a term . Although the D . E . S . recognised the role of parents as Primary Educators at that time and involved parents in many discussion papers ; this recognition has strengthened since then . The result is that in the 2000s the Compass committee needs to meet more often , usually monthly and plays an active role in the work of the NPCpp .
Four members of the Compass committee are on
the Board of the National Parents Council , they are often required to represent NPCpp on other committees e . g . the N . C . C . A . ( National Council for Curriculum and Assessment ), N . E . P . S . ( the National Educational Psychological Service ), H . E . A . ( Higher Education Authority ) to name a few . The Compass committee is asked to represent parents at meetings with the J . M . B . ( Joint Managerial Body ), I . S . A . ( Irish Head Teachers Association ), The Child Welfare Association , The Child Health Development Association , again to name a few .
In the early 2000s the Compass Committee was aware that many parents did not know of the existence of Compass and its role in the world of Secondary Education . The then President and Secretary travelled to many of our schools to talk at the AGMs of Parent Associations and inform them of Compass and its activities .