AMCSS

The Association of Management of Catholic Secondary Schools (AMCSS) was established in 1987. Organised on a Regional level with 10 regions, it now forms the basis of the Council of Management of Catholic Secondary Schools (CMCSS) which has been in existence since the 1960's.

The Board of Management of each member school is represented by its Chairperson and Secretary (who is also the Principal) at the Regional Meetings of AMCSS. Each Region sends two representatives - one a Chairperson and the other a Secretary / Principal - to the Council of Management of Catholic Secondary Schools (CMCSS).

The Council (CMCSS) has 23 members :

The President
20 Regional Representatives (i.e., 2 elected members from each of the 10 AMCSS Regions)
One representative from the Catholic Bishops' Episcopal Education Commission
One representative from the Conference of Religious in Ireland (CORI) Education Commission.

CMCSS may delegate certain tasks to a Standing Committee consisting of the President and 4 elected members. CMCSS is the executive body which represents the interests of the country's Catholic Secondary Schools. It negotiates on their behalf with the Department of Education and Science (DES), the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) and other bodies on issues such as:

> Funding of Catholic Secondary Schools
> Redeployment Scheme for teachers in Catholic Secondary Schools
> Teacher Contracts
> Articles of Management for Catholic Secondary Schools, etc.

The CMCSS also maintains contacts and interacts with other national and international groups interested in Catholic education.It is funded by means of an annual levy based on the number of students enrolled in each member school.

The Council is the governing body of the Secretariat of Secondary Schools which is the administrative centre of information, research and action on behalf of member schools.