Tipperary Institute’s Thurles campus will welcome delegates representing the parents’ councils of Ireland on 6th and 7th of March. This is the 25th Annual Conference of PACCS (Parents Associations of Community and Comprehensive Schools) which represents the parent body of eighty two community and comprehensive schools across Tipperary and throughout the country. Established in 1984, the aim of the association is to give parents a strong voice in educational matters within their schools and at a national level.

The conference delegates will be welcomed to Tipperary by Moya Breen, Director of Business at the Tipperary Institute. Following this, members of PACCS will have the opportunity to engage with a diverse panel of keynote speakers examining relevant educational issues.  Among those presenting will be:

	Mr. John Lonergan, Governor of Mountjoy Prison and native of Tipperary
	Prof. Ciarán O’Cathain, President of Athlone Institute of Technology
	Dr James Griffin, Business Specialist, Tipperary Institute
	Mr. Jim Moore, President of the National Parents Council (Post-Primary)
	Dr. Ann Looney, Chief Executive of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment

 

The PACCS conference also gives parents the opportunity to participate in some of the many workshops at the event. These workshops incorporate topics such as; Guidance towards Third Level (Patricia Quigley), PACCS /ACCS into the future (Liam Ryder), Internet & BEBO (Margie O’Riordan) and Drugs Awareness (Tony Stafford).

The National President of PACCS, Mr. Tommy Walsh, has expressed his delight that the 25th annual conference will be hosted by Tipperary Institute. This is the first time that the PACCS conference will be held in a 3rd level institute, allowing second level parents an opportunity to experience a vibrant, 3rd level college campus. Mr. Walsh also pointed to Tipperary Institute’s state of the art conference facilities, coupled with the central and accessible location of the college, as key to the assured success of the conference.