Parents as partners:
An examination of the constitutional, legal
and policy position of parents as partners in
primary education in Ireland
O'Connor, Claire
(2012)
Parents as partners:
An examination of the constitutional, legal
and policy position of parents as partners in
primary education in Ireland.
Doctor of Education thesis, Dublin City University.
This study seeks to address a paucity of research that exists in respect of the constitutional,
legal and policy position o f parents as educational partners in primary education in Ireland.
The aim o f this study is to inform and enlighten the current, legal and policy position of
parents in partnership in order to challenge and inform the future course of educational
partnership with parents in primary education in Ireland.
The dissertation examines the constitutional, legal and policy position o f parents as partners
in primary education in Ireland. The 1937 Irish Constitution provides the context for this
exploration as it recognises the parent as the primary educator of the child. The relevant
articles of the Constitution and case law surrounding them are analysed. Questions are posed
as to whether the character o f these articles has affected Irish education and educational
policymaking by examining the legal position o f parents in primary education. The study
further seeks to define partnership with parents and examine the response to this partnership
in terms of past and current policy provision for partnership.
This qualitative study is conducted by use o f the semi-structured interview. It seeks
responses from fourteen key stakeholders in the fields of both law and education, who are
members of representative bodies, which influence the legal and policy position of parents in
order to give a comprehensive view of their understanding of the role of parents as
educational partners in primary education in Ireland.