E-scéal 31: The Issue of Child Custody
- Published: 01 March 2004
The issue of child custody as it applies to the right of either parent/guardian to collect their child(ren) from school is often highly charged with emotion and great pressure put on principals.
The classic scenario presents where one parent will inform the principal that there is relationship breakdown with the added hypothesis of the likelihood that the estranged parent may collect the child and abscond. Such a scenario is quite frightening and presents nightmare images. However, from the principal's perspective there is no basis for the class teacher or principal to deny either parent or guardian the right to collect his/her child from school unless there is a Court Order instructing the school otherwise. A solicitor's letter is not a Court Order. Anyone can ask a solicitor to write a letter on their behalf but is has no legal imperative.
Some recommendations:
1. Inform the parent/guardian that requests denial of access to the other partner, the inability of the school to pass judgment on rights of access/collection.
2. Suggest that if there is a serious concern along the lines of abduction or leaving the country with the child(ren), then the parents/guardian should request their solicitor to seek a Court Order instructing the school and any other carers of the child(ren) re rights of access/collection etc.
3. Meanwhile, the school can offer maximum cooperation and support to the concern parent/guardian along the lines of:
- that the principal assures the concerned parent/guardian that maximum awareness and attention will be given by class teacher and others in the school who are involved in the care of their child(ren) with respect to all aspects of parent-school communication and collection of children
- in the case where the estranged parent/guardian is not known to the class teacher (often the case in larger schools) that the concerned parent/guardian would provide a family photograph enabling the class teacher identify the person in question
- that the class teacher/principal will inform the concerned parent/guardian immediately if the other partner contacts, calls to, or seeks to collect the child(ren) from the school.
These practical measures can in no way deny either parent/guardian access to their child(ren) but are based on basic humanitarian support for a distressed parent/guardian. Ultimately only a Court Order can change the existing rights of both parents/guardians.
Is mise Le meas,
Seán Cottrell
Director
E-scéal 30: National Seminar for Deputy Principals
- Published: 20 February 2004
IPPNs 2nd National Seminar for Deputy Principals will take place on Saturday 24th April at the Montague Hotel, Portloaise. Full details of this seminar will arrive by post to your school later this week.
Background to Seminar:
The role of deputy principal has never been adequately defined in the context of Irish primary schools. Successive policy documents have positioned the role of deputy principal in 'senior management' terms but have not profiled the role in terms of management accountabilities, or leadership competencies. Deputy Principals are now eager to define their role and in doing so, take greater ownership of their leadership and management function. An IPPN Sub Committee of deputy principals was established in 2002. The hard work and professional enthusiasm of this sub committee has led to a second national seminar.
Purpose of Seminar
This seminar will define the role of deputy principal based on existing best practice. Due consideration will be given to the role of deputy principal in schools with a teaching principal and an administrative principal. The role definition will focus on:
- Existing Best Practice
- Team Leadership
- Shared Responsibility
- School Improvement
Please note: The fee for this seminar is €80. This includes Refreshments and Lunch
Seminar fee plus travelling expenses to be recouped from the BoM. See Education Act '98, p13 Section 9 (j)
Registration: 9.00 am, Workshop: Starts 9.30 am, Ends 4.30 pm.
A full programme plus reading material will be e-mailed to each participant one week prior to the seminar.
Cancellations up to Friday 9th April 2004 will be refunded. Late cancellations will not be refunded.
Send crossed cheque payable to IPPN to: IPPN, Glounthaune, Co. Cork no later than Friday 9th April 2004
Places will be allocated on a 'first come, first served' basis.
If you wish to participate in the above seminar, please complete the Application Form which will be posted to your school later this week and return it with a cheque for €80 to Deputy Principals Seminar, IPPN, Glounthaune, Co. Cork
Is mise le meas,
Seán Cottrell
Director
E-scéal 29: Future of Small Schools and Teaching Principalship in Ireland
- Published: 19 February 2004
By now you will have received your copy of IPPN's interim report on The Future of Small Schools & Teaching Principalship in Ireland. During the last 10 years Teaching Principals have observed the leadership and management needs of their school change dramatically. This report provides evidence and hope that we can find our own creative and innovative solutions to this worldwide challenge.
BACKGROUND
IPPN has consistently called on the DES to acknowledge the serious challenges facing the 75% of Principals who are also full-time multi-grade class teachers. In the absence of any policy statements about the future of small schools, IPPN committed itself at its Conference in February 2003 to undertake significant research on this topic. An IPPN sub-committee led by Tomás O Slatara, (Teaching Principal in Grange NS, Clonmel, Co Tipperary and IPPN Deputy President) worked in collaboration with project partners led by Dr Mark Morgan, (Head of Education, St Patrick's College, Drumcondra), to produce this interim report. Mr. Pat Cox, MEP, President of the European Parliament launched the interim report at IPPN Conference 2004.
RATIONALE
IPPN believes that if we are to secure the future of Ireland's small schools and arrest their steady decline in numbers, we as principal teachers must be proactive in identifying new, appropriate and workable management structures. The current 'one size fits all schools' thinking by the DES and management bodies clearly doesn't work. Despite this understanding, no other authority seems willing to seriously address the issue. However, it is important to state at this point that IPPN is neither prescribing any one solution nor predicting what future lies ahead for small schools. The interim report serves only to help us ask the right questions, encourage lateral thinking and help explore creative solutions to the myriad of serious challenges encountered by small schools and their teaching principals. Ultimately, any change that might be adopted will only be successful if it brings about real benefits for the whole school community, is taken ownership of by everyone concerned and is resourced adequately by the DES.
CONTENT OF REPORT
This is primarily a consultative report with 'Green Paper' status. The report contains significant research on the educational viability of small schools and the considered views of teaching principals brought together in facilitated focus groups. The interim report also outlines in practical terms how small school clusters operate with different governance and management structures in Sweden, France and Catalonia.
NEXT PHASE
The next phase in the process involves the research sub-committee getting feedback from the other education partners and most importantly from individual principals and teachers throughout the country. This document should be shared with your teaching colleagues, Parents Association, Board of Management and Community Associations ensuring the optimum level of feedback prior to the final report. The document is available as a downloadable file from the homepage of www.ippn.ie. All feedback, opinions and suggestions should be forwarded by e-mail to Tomás O Slatara at deputypresident@ippn.ie
Note: It has come to our attention that during the printing process, a mechanical error led to incorrect page numbering in approximately 25 copies of the report. If you discover that your copy is incorrectly page sequenced, please contact our office by telephone: 1890 21 22 23 or by e-mail: office@ippn.ie and we will forward you a replacement report immediately.
Is mise le meas,
Seán Cottrell
Director
E-scéal 28: Principals take lead in Addressing Under-Performance
- Published: 12 February 2004
At their annual conference today, the largest gathering of Principals ever in Ireland will hear their Director, Seán Cottrell urge the DES and Management Authorities to address the lack of appropriate procedures required to empower principals to manage underperforming staff.
In an age of transparency and accountability schools are coming under greater scrutiny through Whole School Evaluation (WSE). Currently the principal is the only member of staff identifiable in this process. Given that the principal is being held accountable through both legislation and WSE, for the quality of teaching and learning, principals must have the appropriate procedures, training and support structures to manage the performance of their staff.
Underperformance is a very sensitive issue. Because of this it has not been addressed in a meaningful way before now. This is an issue that can affect all members of the school community: children, parents, teachers, principals and the BoM. IPPN urges the DES and management authorities to provide training and support in this area.
Most principal teachers report little experience of underperforming staff. On the contrary principals speak with great pride of the professionalism, commitment and amazing goodwill of their school staff. Because the issue of underperformance has never been addressed or researched there are no statistics available to profile the scale of the problem. The incidence of underperforming staff though relatively very small, is a serious problem when it occurs, with broad implications for the entire school community.
The problem can manifest itself in a variety of ways - people who "can't do" the job, "won't do" the job, "won't let others" do their jobs, "behave in a way which negatively effects professionalism and general staff morale". Underperforming staff can include S.N.As, caretakers, secretaries, teachers and principals.
There are currently a number of barriers to managing underperformance:
1. Governance gap - Education Act 1998, Section 24 requires the DES and management authorities to develop procedures for dealing with performance management. None have been developed to date.
2. The Education Act fails to clarify the relative roles of the principal and the inspector in the management of the professional competence of staff.
Meanwhile IPPN advises BoMs and Principals to utilise the Dept. of Enterprise and Employment (2000) Statutory instrument when difficult situations arise for discipline of staff in the workplace. This is a generic procedure which can be used in any workplace in the absence of locally developed and agreed procedures.
Larry Fleming and John Curran, PRO, IPPN.
E-Scéal 27: IPPN Press Release - Principals Fight to Save Small Schools
- Published: 11 February 2004
The Irish Primary Principal's Network (I.P.P.N) will publish an interim report on the future of small schools in Ireland at their Annual Conference on Thursday. This research report, jointly undertaken with St. Patrick's College of Education, Drumcondra, examines a variety of options and possibilities that should enable smaller schools to thrive and prosper into the future.
This research document conclusively identifies that -
- The learning experience of children in small schools is comparable to that of children in larger schools.
- There are alternatives to amalgamations.
- International models provide proof that 'clusterings' can work.
- Small schools are an intrinsic part of the social fabric binding small communities together.
I.P.P.N has taken the initiative in this particular area due to the fact that no serious consideration has been given to the future of small schools - over 80% of schools in Ireland can be classed as small schools with the Principal Teacher having full time duties as well as administrative and management functions. In recent times it has become apparent that smaller schools are being allowed wither on the vine.
This report will be the first part of the most comprehensive research to date on this particular subject.
Larry Fleming and John Curran, PRO, IPPN.
