E-scéal 298 - CEPP – Update from IPPN Meeting with Teaching Council
- Published: 02 April 2012
On Friday 24th of February, IPPN representatives Virginia O’Mahony, Gerry Murphy and Brendan McCabe took part in a consultation seminar with the Teaching Council in relation to the draft document on the proposed Career Entry Professional Programme (CEPP). There was virtually unanimous concern expressed by all in attendance about the plan to shift responsibility for probating newly-qualified teachers (NQTs) from the inspectorate to Principal teachers.
Following this seminar, Teaching Council officials were invited to attend an IPPN Executive meeting on Friday last for further consultation on the many aspects of CEPP which would have a major impact on Principals. At the meeting, serious concern was expressed by IPPN in relation to the proposed role of Principals in the probation of NQTs. Chief among the concerns were:
• The unacceptable presumption that Principal teachers would take on the role of the Inspectorate in probation, a role for which inspectors have been both trained and remunerated
• An impossible demand on already overburdened teaching Principals
• A considerably increased workload for all Principals
• An inevitable change in relationship between Principal teachers and teachers
• The probation of teachers requires undergoing considerable training
• In smaller schools, due to the limited numbers of teachers available, Principals often have to undertake the role of mentor for NQTs
• Attempting to implement such a major change in the overall continuum of teacher education, without frontloading the necessary resources, would be very damaging to the teaching profession
• A possibility that the proposed probation process would put NQTs at a disadvantage.
There was broad agreement among all the education partners that in an ideal world, where resources were not a major problem, many of the ideas contained within CEPP would be of benefit to the profession. However, given the reality we all know, and the potential damage to the profession, it was proposed that this draft document should not continue in its present form. The Teaching Council has agreed to withdraw the CEPP document and to take cognisance of the many serious concerns expressed.
Is sinne le meas
Seán Cottrell & Gerry Murphy
