Section 11 of the current Governance Manual for Primary Schools outlines the role of Secretary to the Board of Management as follows:
- A broad outline of the duties of the principal where he or she acts as secretary to a board of management is set out in Circular 0079/2007. However, the list of duties outlined in the circular is not exhaustive and the board of management may include other duties as decided by the Board from time to time.
- An allowance may be payable to principals who act as secretaries to boards of management.
- In circumstances where the principal of a school does not act as secretary to a Board, the Board shall elect a recording secretary from amongst its members.
- The duties of the recording secretary are confined to the following:
a) Keeping minutes of each meeting in an appropriate form to be retained in a safe place and to be available on request to representatives of the patron, the trustees (in schools where there are trustees) and the Department.
b) Setting the agenda for meetings in consultation with the chairperson of the Board and the principal.
c) Recording in the minutes, decisions reached at meetings including the numbers of those voting for or against a motion.
- The chairperson of the Board of Management shall act as correspondent for the Board in accordance with section 16.1 of the Governance Manual for Primary Schools.