Parents consider road safety course for primary pupils

The annual delegate conference of the National Parents' Council (Primary) will today consider motions calling for road safety to be made part of the curriculum; for schools to develop facilities to store children's books; and for a reduction in class sizes.

The conference, to be held in Dundalk, Co Louth, will consider a motion calling on the Department of Education to introduce a road safety module to be taught in all primary schools.

It will also hear proposals from delegates from Co Louth that the Department of Education and Department of Transport should make it illegal for vehicles to overtake a school bus when it has stopped to pick up or set down children.

A motion from Limerick calls for the provision of facilities to store books and other equipment. The motion maintains that this means children would not have to carry excessively heavy bags to and from school.

The Limerick motion also calls on the Health and Safety Authority to issue guidelines for safe weights for school bags.

The conference will consider calls for the Department of Education to allow for the establishment of primary schools within the VEC sector, "so as to increase the diversity of educational experiences available to parents and children".

A call for smaller class sizes and a proposal that new purpose-built primary schools should include facilities for after-school use and extra-curricular activities will also be debated.

The theme of the conference is Interculturalism - Embracing Diversity in Primary Education.

Today it will hear a presentation from Benedicta Attoh, the director of the African Centre, and from a member of the Louth African women's support group.

Minister for Education Mary Hanafin will address the conference, while Barnardos chief executive Fergus Finlay will deliver a keynote speech.