IPPN

Published: 04 February 2005

IPPN President Virginia O'Mahony acknowledged the significance of Minister Hanafin's presence at the IPPN conference and her address to 750 principals gathered there. The Minister was warmly received by the large gathering of primary principals and spoke with great style and humour at what she described as 'the beginning of the Conference Season'.

IPPN is pleased with the Minister's understanding of the challenging role of the Principal and her recognition of the extent to which the Department of Education and Science was responsible for the massive increase in bureaucratic administration which has added much to the principals workload.

We welcome Minister Hanafin's clear recognition of the leadership role of the principal and the need to provide further professional development appropriate to their leadership role. In acknowledging the valuable contribution that IPPN makes to the education system through its support and representation of primary principals, the Minister acknowledged that the DES valued IPPN as an important education partner and would consult on policy issues through its representative network.

In her response to the Minister, IPPN President, Virginia O'Mahony acknowledged the affirmation of principals by the Minister but asked that this would be matched by a more professional quality of service from the DES to school principals - "Principals are seen by parents as the public face of the education system and consequently require accurate information from the DES as well as reliable responses to requests for resources within the promised time frame."

In his address to the Minister, Seán Cottrell, Director, referred to the evidence provided by 850 principals surveyed on the issue of Principals workload. In describing the incremental nature of additional responsibilities placed upon principals he likened it to a lobster placed in cold water with the temperature being turned up slowly. Most principals feel "well and truly cooked now". However, Seán referred to the workload shock experienced by newly appointed principals as the lobster being thrown into a cauldron of boiling water with the instant desire to leap back out again!

On the issue of the Minister's three priorities of Special Education Needs, Education Disadvantage and reducing class size for better educational outcomes, Seán Cottrell called upon the Minister to consider what best strategic approach would assist in achieving her three priorities as Minster for Education and Science. Given the Ministers earlier acknowledgement of the pivotal role played by principals in a school's success, Seán outlined the multiplying and accelerating factor of an effective principal in each of the three priority areas. Similar to the Health Sector, additional resources in their own will not achieve the desired improvement of services without high quality strategic leadership and management.

In reference to the role of teaching principal IPPN was pleased to hear the Minister acknowledge the difficulty of this role. Seán Cottrell compared the plight of administrative and teaching principal to that of airline pilots - a transatlantic 747 with 2 pilots, a cabin crew of 20 and 400 passengers. However in contrast, the Aer Arann flight from Dublin to Knock does not expect a single pilot to load the baggage, serve the tea, answer the passenger call bells as well as flying the aeroplane!

The need to make progress in addressing the principals workload and in particular the workload encountered by teaching principals has dominated IPPN's Annual Conference. A significant feature of the 850 principals responses was their desire to be relieved of non-educational responsibilities and time wasting bureaucracy so they can return their core function of managing and influencing the quality of teaching and learning.