IPPN

Published: 04 February 2005

One of the major talking points among 750 primary school principals attending the Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN) annual conference in Citywest, Dublin this week is how to provide for children with special education needs.

Principals are calling for a fair and equitable system of allocating resources for children with special needs to be put in place immediately so that they can plan properly for the needs of these children.

More than 50,000 children (12%) in our primary schools need extra support, resources and teaching to cater for their special needs. The integration and inclusion of children with special needs is part and parcel of every mainstream school - large and small - and is welcomed as a positive development. Legislation such as The Education Act, 1998 and the more recent Education for Persons with Disabilities Act, 2004 now underpins the rights of every child to an adequate and appropriate education. What is not so positive is the lack of co-ordinated support that many principals and teachers face every day in providing for all children in our schools.

Over the past few years, allocation of resources to schools to provide for special needs has been fraught with difficulty and the Department of Education and Science has not been able to deal adequately with the administration and allocation of resources to schools. There have been a number of different systems tried by the DES over the years and, last year, a new "weighted system" was proposed. This system divides special needs pupils into two categories: those with a "high incidence" disability such as specific learning disability, and those with a "low incidence" disability such as autism. Schools were to be given an automatic allowance of extra resource teaching hours for high incidence children based on statistical occurrence and would apply separately for low incidence children. A review of this proposed system was announced by the minister, Mary Hanafin, T.D. when it was realised that the ratios proposed would mean that many smaller schools and schools in disadvantaged areas would actually lose resources under the new plan. According to the DES, this review should be completed in the coming weeks. Minister Hanafin has stated that no pupil with special needs will lose resources. IPPN call for this review to be completed as a matter of urgency.

Principals are concerned that they will face yet another school year uncertain of what resources they will have for the new school year in September. Will they have to let Special Needs Assistants go? Will they lose teaching posts or be in a position to employ a new teacher?

"Although the school year starts in September, principals are planning this from April. They must know by then how many teachers they will have, what rooms they need, what extra resources or classroom assistants might be available in order to plan effectively" points out Seán Cottrell, Director of IPPN.

Very often, school principals cannot get a psychological assessment for a child and cannot, therefore, apply for resources. There are still many schools that do not have an adequate psychological service despite the establishment of NEPS (National Educational Psychological Service) in 1999. Many parents have had to pay privately for a psychological assessment for their child with special needs in order to secure extra help for their child. Many other parents cannot afford this. "Parents are worried that this proposed new system might actually make things worse and make it more difficult for schools to get extra help for their children" says Cottrell.

"Provision for children with special needs must be based on what pupils actually need in the classroom to experience quality learning and not on some arbitrary quota system based on a simplistic calculation assuming that all children are the same. A child with autism, for instance, may be in a multi grade class in a small rural school with a teaching principal or in a large urban school with a special autistic unit in place. Catering for the needs of the child is different in both cases and must be provided for accordingly."

Often, Principals are faced with the dilemma of allocating resources to one child while other children with equally pressing needs receive no extra support. This happens because of the administrative anomalies involved.

Every child sitting in a classroom today deserves the best learning experience that we can provide. In determining what resources and staffing a school needs, we must take into account that children are individuals with individual needs and not simply part of some statistical formula.

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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.

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Published: 03 February 2005

IPPN Press Release Thurs 3rd Feb 2005

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"Small schools face the same fate as Ireland's rural Post Offices, Garda Stations, and Banks unless urgent action is taken" according to Dr. Mark Morgan, Head of Education in St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra. "New Horizons for Smaller Schools and Teaching Principalship in Ireland" is the title of a report published today by the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN) to 750 primary principals attending their annual conference in Citywest, Dublin.

The result of over two years research into the issues and challenges facing smaller schools in Ireland, the study was undertaken jointly by St. Patrick's College of Education and IPPN and looked at ways in which the problems encountered by smaller schools and teaching principals can be overcome. One of the most comprehensive studies ever undertaken in Irish schools in recent years, the study involved consultation with the education partners, review of other research, focus-groups throughout the country, a North-South conference, questionnaires and surveys. It points the way forward for professional and career development opportunities for teachers and enhanced educational opportunities for children. IPPN today calls for urgent action to implement the main recommendations of this report and to start a process which will allow smaller schools to respond to changes in society and be a thriving force in the education landscape in the future.

Smaller schools have a crucial role to play in the educational and community life of Ireland. Research has shown that standards are as high in such schools as in larger schools. "Principals and their staffs have a strong commitment to working in these schools and there is evidence that they present unique educational opportunities for children," said Dr. Mark Morgan, Head of Education in St. Patrick's College.

However, there are also significant disadvantages by comparison with larger schools in terms of the facilities and educational opportunities available to children and especially with regard to the particular challenge presented by multi-class teaching in smaller schools. The report indicates that a major problem in such schools is professional isolation. There is ample evidence that innovation in practice needs a community of peers for support and affirmation. "The small school is very important to the wider community..." points out Tomas O Slatara, Deputy President IPPN and co-author of the report, "Many isolated rural communities are already losing other valued services such as post offices, banks and local shops".

The particular difficulties of teaching principals are also highlighted in the report. Teaching principals struggle daily to fulfil the multi-faceted role required of them as school leaders in the 21st century. Every Monday, over 2,000 primary school principals face into a demanding week, with full teaching duties, teaching mixed class groups and trying to carry out the myriad of other tasks and responsibilities that come with leading, managing and organising a modern primary school. Currently 73% of primary principals are fulfilling this dual role in schools with less than 180 pupils.

The average number of applicants for the post of principal has fallen from 5.5 in 1996 to 2.9 in 2004. IPPN research provides ample evidence that a significant number of principals are 'handing back the keys' and also that many teachers are not interested in applying for principalship. "This is a crucial issue for smaller schools and for the teaching profession in general and there is an onus on all the partners in education to address these worrying trends." The report explores how schools might co-operate and work together in a variety of ways to identify and meet their needs in agreed local clustering arrangements. Detailed guidelines are presented for the development and try-out of such "clusters". O'Slatara is convinced that serious consideration needs to be given to establishing a number of pilot projects and to providing financial support so that smaller schools can work together in meaningful, innovative, local professional development clusters. "This approach presents real opportunities for the further development of this crucial feature of Irish primary education and is a welcome alternative to the politically unpopular options of amalgamation or closure that are the current reality facing many smaller schools."

The consultation with the social partners undertaken as part of the research indicates that such a view is widely shared. There was unanimous agreement about the need for smaller schools to work together and the importance of building on the formal and informal arrangements for clustering that are already in place. "In this report we have examined research from several countries which has shown that significant benefits accrue to students and teachers from suitable clustering arrangements" said Dr. Morgan. He concludes that "One of the key benefits is that clustering arrangements can allow schools to maintain their independence while at the same time linking with other schools to maximise the use of resources and address the issue of professional isolation".

Unless this issue is addressed urgently, we will see more and more smaller schools disappearing from the rural landscape and our children facing long and tedious journeys to school.

ENDS

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Published: 09 January 2005

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