IPPN

Principals' leadership is key to achieving quality learning in our schools'

Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin, T.D., today addressed the Annual Conference of the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN) in City West, Dublin.

Addressing over 700 Principals Minister Hanafin acknowledged that the demands placed on school principals and deputy principals had increased greatly in recent years. Minister Hanafin acknowledged the need for the Department of Education and Science to support principals to carry out their demanding roles saying "strong leadership training is vital in any management job. One of the most important developments in recent years has been the establishment and expansion of the Leadership Development for Schools Initiative (LDS). In partnership with the IPPN, it has helped to fill the gap in terms of quality training and networking opportunities for principals, providing training for nearly 700 Principals to date."

Announcing increased funding for LDS, Minister Hanafin said "I am strongly committed to strengthening the LDS. This year €1million will be spent on LDS to ensure that more training places are available for experienced principals and deputies and to increase the level of online training available for you. This is a four fold increase in funding for training since the programme was introduced in 2002."

Outlining progress made in prioritising provision for children with special needs and those from disadvantaged areas, Minister Hanafin said "with more than 600 extra resource teachers, the introduction of the general allocation scheme and the establishment of the National Council for Special Education, children with special needs are getting more support than ever before. Along with these additional resources, it is important to acknowledge the considerable efforts that primary principals have put into ensuring that children with special needs are welcomed into mainstream schools. I know this has required significant flexibility and cooperation on your part."

Explaining how the strategy for tackling disadvantage, Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) will be implemented Minister Hanafin said "the programme will mean better identification of levels of disadvantage in our schools and a single integrated programme of supports for schools with concentrated levels of disadvantage. The process of identifying the most disadvantaged schools is just complete and I will shortly notify those primary schools qualifying for extra supports under the DEIS Programme."

Minister Hanafin emphasised that the Department would continue to make efforts to ensure that it did not create unnecessary pressures on school principals. Outlining steps taken Minister Hanafin said "staffing schedules will issue within the next month so that redeployment and recruitment can take place as soon as possible. I also wanted to ensure that schools qualifying under the Summer Works Scheme were announced as early as possible in the year so that tenders could be sought and arrangements made to ensure that works will be completed over the summer".

To ease the load on teaching principals who find it difficult to find a suitable person to teach their class on release days Minister Hanafin said the Department of Education and Science is establishing a pilot scheme for providing substitute cover for teaching principals which will benefit more than 150 teaching principals.

Highlighting the critical role of parents in their children's education and in the school community, Minister Hanafin said "parents have both a right and a responsibility to be involved in their children's education. This is a two-way process and schools are entitled to expect the support of parents. We need to do all we can to make parents real and valued partners in their children's education. I know that the IPPN has been innovative in coming up with ways to help principals to communicate with parents, through initiatives such as the text-a-parent service."

Minister Hanafin acknowledged the "extremely powerful effect that principals as school leaders have in the learning environment in schools" and assured the principals of her commitment and that of her Department to "do all that we can to support you in your leadership role."

Ends

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