E-Scéal 108: Governance, Management and School Leadership - The Real Debate
- Published: 29 October 2005
Many principals around the country were incensed and annoyed by the debate which took place last week in the media on the question of the role of the denominational churches in managing primary schools. Principals feel that the debate mostly failed to identify the real issues. The fact is that the burden of management falls largely on Principals' shoulders with little or no appropriate supports or reward for the task. Whatever about the view that schools could not operate without the involvement of the Churches in management, principals largely feel that schools can and do operate despite their boards of management rather than because of them. And they operate effectively because, by and large, principals fulfill the management, administrative and leadership functions that are lacking from their boards.
The reality is that whether we like it or not / realise it or not, principals are, the de facto managers of schools. IPPN has been
consistently! and clearly highlighting this issue for the past five years. There is a problem with the way schools are governed and managed in Ireland and the manner in which this impacts on the principal as a school leader. The current Board of Management structure, devised over thirty years ago, is simply not up to the job of either governing or managing our schools. Principals carry the administrative and managerial burden; are often the sole advisor to the Board of Management and, along with the teacher representative, the only professional educator on the board. In this context, is the Board actually 'managing' anything? As a principal of twenty-five years put it, "Every four years, I am duty bound to track down, cajole and persuade six volunteers whom I will then induct, inform, advise and train to tell me how to do my job! I end up doing everything anyway. It's like having bought an expensive thoroughbred dog and still having to bark myself!"
With a raft of new legislation now underpinning the operation of schools and an increasingly diverse and changing Irish society, the debate really needs to start with the reality of modern schools and how they ought to be governed and managed in the 21st century.
IPPN has sought and forcefully represented the views of principals on these issues in all quarters over the past three years. Every opportunity to research and highlight the reality of the role of the school leader and to take the debate on school management and governance to a higher level has been availed of on behalf of Principals. The content of these submissions and meetings is informed by the most recent research that has been undertaken directly with school leaders seeking their views on management and governance in the IPPN's survey of October 2004.
Subsequently, meetings have taken place and submissions made to:
1. The Episcopal Commission on Education
2. The Catholic Prim! ary School Management Association
3. The Minister for Education and Science
4. The Secretary General of the DES
5. Submission on Principals Workload to the DES
6. Submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education & Science
7. Forthcoming submission to the INTO on benchmarking
It might appear that our message and the voice of Principals are not being listened to in this debate. Perhaps this is because none of the other education partners have a vested interest in changing the status quo in school governance and management. Is it possible that this is because of they have developed a dependency and reliance on Principals to pick up the pieces when a management system, belonging to a different era, is creaking to a halt?
IPPN will continue to ask the awkward questions and represent the views of Principals at every opportunity that presents itself.
Is muidne le meas,
Seán Cottrell, Tomás O Slatara
E-Scéal 107: IPPN Awards Bursary for Primary School Clustering Initiative
- Published: 28 October 2005
The Irish Primary Principals Network today announced the award of two bursaries, of €3,000 each, to primary schools in Cork and Longford/Leitrim to help them pursue an innovative educational project.
Over the coming year, two groups of smaller schools in Cork and in Longford/Leitrim will meet regularly to plan events and activities together for their schools. The bursaries will help to pay for expert training, resources, substitute cover and other measures to enhance their schools.
The majority of primary schools in Ireland are small schools with a principal who teaches full classes every day. "Clustering" occurs when a number of schools work together on policy planning, curriculum initiatives, administration, shared teaching and other matters where they have a common interest and where good practice can be shared among them. Clustering was first identified and recommended as a strategy for smaller schools to use by the IPPN/St Patrick's College of Education in their report on 'The Future of Small Schools and Teaching Principalship in Ireland' - published in 2004.
In a bid to highlight how effective this could be as an overall national strategy, IPPN decided to put up two bursaries, valued at €3,000 each, to help smaller schools to try out this innovative practice. "Nobody else seemed to be taking our recommendations seriously, so we decided to do it ourselves," said Sean Cottrell, National Director of IPPN. "Following many enquires from interested Principals and as a follow up to the report 'New Horizons for Smaller Schools and Teaching Principalship in Ireland' IPPN decided to provide two bursaries of €3,000 each to support pilot projects for the clustering of smaller schools."
The report, which was very favourably received at IPPN Conference in February 2005, outlined the many benefits for smaller schools in exploring the possibilities of well planned and supported clustering. It also highlighted that working in co-operation with other schools in localised clusters needs to be seen as a key professional development opportunity for smaller schools to:
- provide enhanced educational opportunities for children
- identify, prioritise and meet localised needs
- share the administrative and curricular workload
- break the professional isolation experienced by principals and staffs
- benefit from the professional expertise and advice of colleagues
- seek the support of other agencies for their initiatives
E-Scéal 106: IPPN Backs Demands for Smaller Classes
- Published: 27 October 2005
IPPN BACKS
DEMAND FOR SMALLER CLASSES
Teaching Principals demand fair play
"Class size is not just about numbers in rooms. It is about every child in every class in every school in Ireland getting the individual attention and help that they need," said Tomás O Slatara, incoming president of IPPN.
"Any measure to tackle the problem of reducing class size in our schools has to start with agreed priorities"," said O Slatara. "IPPN is calling for these measures to be targeted first at the class of the teaching principal. There should be an immediate acceptance of the need to prioritise reduction in the class-teaching load for teaching principals which recognises the multi-faceted nature of this role. This is very much in line with the recommendation in the HayGroup Report (2003) 'Defining the Role of the Primary Principal' 'Teaching Principals should proactively organise their own teaching workload in a manner that enables them to fulfil their primary leadership accountabilities more effectively'
International evidence shows that class size in Ireland lags well behind other countries in relation to class size. There is growing pressure on government to make our classes smaller. "Behind these overall figures, however, lie many different experiences." This was the message of Tomás O Slatara, incoming President of the Irish Primary Principals' Network, to county representatives at their annual general meeting in Dublin today. When class size is talked about, many people picture a large urban school with single grade classes of up to 30 children. The learning experience of our children in this set-up, with the demands of a modern curriculum, is not tolerable for Ireland in the 21st century. "Reduction in class size is clearly a priority in schools with high levels of disadvantage and in infant classes; but most of all it is required in the class of the teaching principal. There is a big difference between a single-grade class of 30 children and a principal teaching 20 children in three class levels in an area of social disadvantage. Saying that a child is in a class of 20 may sound good to parents and the public in general but it does not tell the full story."
Over 70% of Irish primary schools are smaller schools with multi-grade classes. In over 2,000 schools throughout Ireland, the principal is teaching a full class, all day, every day. They juggle the competing demands of leading, managing and administering a modern school and teaching a full class. These classes are multi-grade classes with children of differing ages, class groupings and abilities. Often, there are children with special educational needs as well. A more complex picture emerges of the reality of what "class-size" means in Ireland when the teaching principal's perspective is highlighted. It is not simply a picture of up to 30 children working in one room trying to deal with a modern curriculum which more and more demands that the individual child's needs are met in an individual manner.
Tomás O Slatara is a teaching principal with over 23 years experience and takes up his role as President of IPPN for the coming year.
E-Scéal 105: Press Release - IPPN Demands Basic Security
- Published: 26 October 2005
Irish Primary Principals' Network
PRESS RELEASE
IPPN DEMANDS BASIC SAFETY FOR ONE-TEACHER SCHOOLS.
"We cannot afford to wait for a tragedy to happen in a one-teacher school. Immediate steps should be taken to appoint classroom assistants to these schools so that no teacher is left in sole charge of a group of children." Speaking on the issue of one-teacher schools, Tomás Ó Slatara, newly elected president of IPPN, insisted that this glaring health and safety issue has to be addressed immediately.
There are 20 one-teacher schools throughout Ireland. These are mostly in rural areas and play a vital and vibrant part in the communities they serve. "Twenty busy, vibrant centres of learning." according to Martina Williams of the newly formed principals support group for one-teacher schools.
Principals in these schools look after their pupils on their own and this raises a major question about the safety of the children and the unacceptable level of responsibility that is carried daily by the principal. "Perish the thought that an emergency should occur in any one of these schools! Consider the situation: a child has an accident in the playground; the teacher must attend to the needs of this child; the child may need to be brought urgently for medical treatment: who, in the meantime, is responsible for the other children? This is one of many possible scenarios that raise crucial legal and health and safety issues that need to be addressed immediately" says David Mc Veigh, Principal, Kilmactigue NS, Co Sligo.
It is estimated that the cost of implementing this measure would be not more than €400,000 per year for these schools. "A small price to pay for the health and safety of children and principals in these twenty schools" said Ó Slatara.
E-Scéal 104: IPPN National Committee AGM and Upcoming Special Offer on School Telephone Charges
- Published: 21 October 2005
National Committee AGM
This Sat Oct 22nd the IPPN National Committee will hold it's AGM at The Red Cow Moran Hotel, Dublin. Two reps have been elected from each of the 26 County Networks to form IPPN's National Committee for 2005/2006.
This committee is the consultative platform for IPPN Policy development. The AGM's business will include the election of officers to form IPPN's executive, consultation with each County Network on relevant issues and policy priorities as well as an input from Dr. Paul Ryan, teacher education section from the DES.
Congratulations to the new National committee and best wishes for their endeavors in the year ahead.
30% savings on your land line calls
IPPN has teamed up with Cable & Wireless and negotiated a special deal to help drive down your schools communications costs and allowing you and your staff to invest these savings back into the development of your school.
Coming soon
Sign up details will be issued to you in the near future
Switch today and see it pay!
Is mise le meas,
Seán Cottrell
