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.
E-Scéal 26: IPPN Press Release - UCD Professor Launches Strong Attack on the Privatisation of Education in Ireland
- Published: 10 February 2004
Dr. Kathleen Lynch, UCD, in her address to the IPPN annual conference at City West Hotel on Saturday, 7th February poses the simple question: "... Is Primary Education TRULY free and EQUALLY available to all?"
Even more significantly, she questions whether primary education is equally beneficial to all children at primary level. She asks who is ensuring that equality is promoted and that the right to benefit from education is secure. "Who cares if it is not? Where is the evidence so we can judge?" Dr. Lynch is clearly bringing the issue of assessment in primary school to the forefront for the largest ever gathering of principals in Ireland.
Dr. Lynch will argue that in the interests of social justice, the right to education must be protected and that only the state has the power to do this... leaving things to the vagaries of market forces will not work.
Dr. Lynch will also bemoan the total absence of any discussion on the fact that education in Ireland is now being treated as a business rather than as a public service to be supported and protected. This trend has accelerated in recent years despite the devolving of governance responsibilities to schools. Dr. Lynch calls for the issues of privatisation and the market model in education to be publicly debated in Ireland given that there is evidence to suggest that market driven education further disadvantages the already disadvantaged.
Larry Fleming and John Curran, PRO, IPPN.
E-Scéal 25: IPPN Press Release - Dempsey Ignores School Principals
- Published: 01 February 2004
Virginia O'Mahony, President of IPPN, will launch a hard hitting attack on the Minister for Education Mr. Noel Dempsey at IPPN's annual conference for his ongoing failure to recognise the vast reservoir of leadership experience and vision available from the Principals of Irish Primary Schools.
On the very night when Minister Dempsey launches his own "Vision" road-show, the President accuses the minister of taking Principals for granted. "Enlightened Principals would never treat their staffs as we have been treated".
The President will cite the launch of Mr. Dempsey's 'vision' document in Galway on Feb 5th, in direct opposition to the opening of the IPPN annual conference, as indicative of the Minister's dismissive and disrespectful attitude towards Primary School leaders, where lip-service only is paid to the process of inclusive consultation.
The National Director, Mr. Sean Cottrell, will highlight the Minister's attitude as comparable to assembling a world-class symphony orchestra and neglecting to engage a conductor. He will highlight the side lining of Parents and Principals in relation to current educational issues such as Parent teacher meetings, the Standardised School Year and the Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill. The Minister has succeeded in his short term of office in seriously eroding the good will and professional generosity of the vast majority of the teaching profession by failing to listen to the grass roots of the profession. In the world of business, damage to goodwill of staff by failing to consult with and listen to their own leaders would not be tolerated for long.
Larry Fleming and John Curran, PRO, IPPN.
E-scéal 24: Resourcing of Special Educational Needs
- Published: 20 November 2003
The planned introduction by the DES to implement a 'weighted system' of allocating resources for special education needs, will if implemented, bring about major changes to most schools. While a formula-based system of allocating extra teaching capacity and special assistance for children with SEN, might be welcomed at one level, the benefits of reduced negotiation and administration time could well be offset by other newer problems. Weighted allocation could lead to imbalanced levels of resources between two schools with similar numbers of children but with considerably different SEN levels.
The IPPN Executive has sought an opportunity to meet with DES Officials to present constructive solutions to this problem which will be based on the experience and knowledge of those who are at the front line. An opportunity to present our views will arise in mid-February. Consequently, IPPN is consulting with principals and deputies nationally. We need to devise an innovative and workable plan for consideration by the DES. If you and your staff have views on what might be the best system to allocate resources for SEN to schools, please forward them to office@ippn.ie.
As indicated in Circular 24/03 future SEN resource allocation will not be based on rigid one to one models. Please take this opportunity to consult with your teachers to devise an allocation system which will be equitable and fair to all children, class teachers, support teachers and principals alike. The failure of the DES in the past to consult with principals in the formulation of SEN policy has led to confusing, time-consuming and rigid procedures which are out of touch with the reality of schools. It is high time that we have a workable system in place that allows us put our energies in to teaching and learning rather than unanswered phone calls and tiresome bureaucracy!
Is mise le meas,
Seán Cottrell
Director
