How to Complain

If you are not happy about something that is affecting your child at school you can make a complaint.

A complaint may be about your child being excluded from some school activities or could be about your child being bullied.

If the complaint is about the school you cannot complain to the Department of Education and Skills.

The complaint must be made to the school itself.

If the complaint is a small issue the best approach is to talk first to the class teacher.

When a meeting is arranged have a note of the key issue you want to discuss – the specific problem and what change you would like.

If the teacher cannot help or you are not happy with the teacher’s response you can organise a meeting with the principal.

Having spoken with the school principal and you are still not happy that your complaint has been resolved you may contact the chairperson of the school’s Board of Management.

If the chairperson cannot resolve your complaint they should discuss the matter at a meeting.

You should put your complaint in writing. Generally, only those complaints which are written and signed by parents may be investigated formally by the Board of Management.

Shortly after reaching its decision, the Board should let you know its decision on your complaint. This decision ends the school complaints process.

If you are unhappy about how the school handled your complaint you may complain to the Office of the Ombudsman for Children

Contact details:

ococomplaint@oco.ie

Free-phone: 1800 20 20 40

If your complaint is about a teachers’ practice and you are unhappy with the school response, you may take your complaint to the Teaching Council.

You must write to The Teaching Council, Block A Maynooth Business Campus, Maynooth, County Kildare, W23Y7X0