IPPN

Published: 23 February 2005

We kindly request all Principals and Deputy Principals to circulate the following notice to all teachers in your school. Please photocopy for teachers' in-trays or place on the teachers' notice board as soon as possible.

The deadline for survey completion is Friday 4th March 2005.

Teachers' Survey - Attitude and Aspiration toward the Role of Principalship

The Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN) and National Association of Principals & Deputies (NAPD) are conducting a nationwide survey of 1st & 2nd level teachers as part of a research project entitled The Challenge of Recruiting & Retaining School Leaders. We welcome your opinion and attitude towards the role of school principal.

The information gathered in this survey will provide an evidence base for a symposium to be held in Cork on March 9th 2005. At this event Prof. John Coolahan, NUI Maynooth, Dr. Seamus Mc Guinness, TCD and Prof. Geraldine McCarthy, UCC, will present papers based on existing literature relevant to the theme as well as current thinking on school leadership.

How can you help?

By logging on to www.educationopinion.ie and completing the short questionnaire. This will take no more than 2 minutes. The deadline for survey completion is Friday 4th March 2005.

Thank you for your help with this valuable research.

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Published: 04 February 2005

Growing bureaucracy, non-educational tasks and ever-increasing legislative demands are preventing principals from addressing their key responsibilites of managing teaching and learning in our primary schools. The serious problem of work overload amongst Ireland's Primary Principals is having such a devastating impact on their personal lives that many want to be relieved of their positions, according to research to be published at the IPPN Annual Conference in Dublin.

A survey of 850 members of the Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN) revealed that 75% of respondents felt they were either overloaded or seriously overloaded with work. As a result most are suffering from stress. Exhaustion, burn-out, migraine, tiredness, anxiety, a sense of hopelessness and difficulty sleeping were some of the emotional and physical problems being experienced by a large number of principals. Many were concerned with changes to their personality resulting from the stress, such as intolerance and irritability.

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Published: 04 February 2005

IPPN statement following the address by Dr Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin to the Irish Primary Principals' Network Conference at CityWest Hotel.

The statement that "The primary ethos of the school should be an educational one" by Archbishop Martin in his address to 700 Primary School Principals has been warmly received by IPPN. This is an important statement coming from the Primate of Ireland in his first major address to an education conference. In a wide-ranging speech, Dr Martin displayed a clear understanding of the challenges facing Principals in their leadership of the modern primary school where diversity and plurality form the order of the day. Whilst 90% of primary schools are under Catholic patronage, it is to be welcomed that the Head of the Catholic Church in Ireland recognises 'that education in the fullest sense of the word' is common across all religious ethos. This is a comforting message for principals in their efforts to reflect the traditions of the multi-ethnic school population within the context of a single denomination school. Archbishop Martin stressed that the Catholic school is inclusive rather than exclusive and should continue to be attractive to parents of all faiths.

IPPN was pleased that Dr Martin displayed a particular insight into the challenging role of Principal Teachers and reflected upon the need for the profession to be both highly regarded and well rewarded. He indicated that the status of the teaching profession in the eyes of the public correlated highly with the quality of education provided. 'Any undermining of that status - which is linked also with remuneration - has serious negative effects on the effectiveness of any education system' stated Dr. Martin.

The Archbishop speculated that the shape of management and governance of our schools is unclear for the future. IPPN welcomes the Archbishops invitation "to get it right together". IPPN is extremely eager that the issue of school governance be addressed as part of any examination of principal's workload. The conference heard research from 850 schools outlining widespread dissatisfaction with the level of support principals receive from their Boards of Management.

In response to Archbishop Martins praise for principals and teachers for the role they play in the religious formation of children, IPPN expresses concern at the extent to which the school is depended upon to pass on the faith. Regardless of the nature of religious ethos, principals believe that parents have primary responsibility for the religious upbringing of children. The parent's role should come first, supported by the parish and its clergy and in turn by the primary school. Principals believe that the opposite is the case at present where virtually all responsibility is left with the school to prepare children for sacraments and provide for children's faith formation and religious instruction. Having left behind an era where all children in a given school shared a similar religious ethos, it is essential that the school return to its true role of supporting parents and parish rather than assuming complete responsibility. Declining numbers of parish clergy has seen a corresponding reduction of 'chaplaincy' to schools. Principals recognise that it cannot be assumed that every teacher is willing or capable of providing religious instruction. In the context of the changing nature of schools, principals would welcome meaningful support from appropriately trained chaplains.

In response to a question concerning the Catholic churches requirement that primary schools remained closed on Church Holidays, Archbishop Martin agreed that progress could be made in this area through dialogue and consultation with IPPN. It was clarified that this issue has arisen as a result of negotiations between unions, management and the DES. IPPN was not party to these negotiations, however notes that it is principals who have to deal with this issue at school level. IPPN welcomes the Archbishops recognition of the need to provide a better solution to the issue of 'Holy Days'.

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Published: 04 February 2005

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