IPPN

Published: 08 September 2022

World Peace School Sports Day has been conceived by a group of Anglo-Irish educationalists with the aim of empowering young people to use sport and physical activity to reaffirm international values of peace and friendship.

The first World Peace Schools Sports Day is planned to coincide with the UN World Day of Peace on 21st September 2022. The aim is simple, the impact far-reaching.

This is a call for as many schools as possible to take part by signing up as soon as possible on the website. https://www.worldpeaceschoolsportsday.com

Wearing blue or yellow for the day, students donate €1 to take part in school-based sporting or e-sport event. Students can participate in events organised by the school, their PE lesson, Daily Mile or just decide to do something simple like running around the playground on their own! The decision is up to each individual school, but without adding to workload or creating bureaucracy. It is great to do what you would have already have been doing, but with this added focus! Given the current hostilities in Ukraine, it is suggested that funds raised in the first year will go to support the people caught up in this humanitarian disaster.
The aim is to use this initial event as the starting point to bring schools and youth groups around the world together in an annual programme of activities to demonstrate the power of young people and sport to make positive change.

World Peace School Sports Day is already supported by a number of leading professional associations and global ambassadors from the world of elite sport. Please join that movement.

Published: 08 September 2022

As school leaders, many of us believe that we are there to solve every problem brought to us and if we do not we have failed, bringing with it feelings of shame and inadequacy. Often when someone comes to us with a problem, certain expectations come into play. The other person can believe or expect that having come to you with their problem, they hand it over and now their problem becomes yours to solve. In addition, if you believe that you are there to solve all problems, then the burden quickly becomes yours.

This is where the expectations of others, but more importantly the expectations you have of yourself, have to be carefully managed. Managing self is one of the greatest challenges facing school leaders today, but both sets of expectations need consideration. Over the course of the next number of weeks in the Escéal, focus will be directed towards providing strategies to help you manage both.

For now, you might consider this scenario and reflect on your beliefs posed by the following questions.

What would you do with the following scenario?

Does it sound familiar?

A staff member comes to you at 2.30 on Friday afternoon, with a complaint about another staff member. They demand to know what you are going to do about it. You spend the weekend worrying about the situation and searching for ways to address it. Sunday afternoon finds you dreading the following day, as you know it will be difficult.

Who is responsible for addressing this issue?

Where do rights vs responsibilities fit into this scenario?

What part does communication play in it?

How will you manage yourself?

Note: Should you find yourself facing a difficult situation or need to have a challenging conversation, IPPN’s Leadership Support Team is there to guide and support you. Contact the Support Office on 021 4824070 or email advice@ippn.ie.

Published: 08 September 2022

The focus of IPPN’s budget submission this year is on sustainable leadership and those elements of funding that will have the greatest impact on primary schools and school leaders’ capacity to discharge their leadership and management accountabilities.

IPPN presents four key priorities for Budget 2023, as submitted to the ministers for education, finance, and public sector and reform, as well as the secretary general of the DE.

1. Sharing leadership – developing a culture of shared leadership and increasing leadership capacity by
a. Retaining leadership and management days for deputy principals (DPs) in schools with administrative principals and expanding the measure to include DPs in all schools
b. Reducing the threshold for appointment of administrative principals and deputy principals
c. Extending CSL coaching and mentoring to DPs, all new principals and those new to DEIS.

2. Ensuring the continuity of provision to children by
a. Extending and expanding teacher supply panels
b. Creating and rolling out a national process for appointing substitute SNAs
c. Developing a process for the vetting of substitute SNAs who work across schools

3. Address the funding crisis relating to soaring inflation and spiralling energy costs by
a. Retaining COVID supports until the pandemic ends
b. Bringing grant funding into line with post-primary schools
c. Providing temporary alleviation of the cost burden relating to inflation and energy crisis

4. Fully resourcing supports for children with additional needs by
a. Adequately resourcing SEN supports in schools.

Click here to view the submission. All submissions are on www.ippn.ie under Advocacy/Submissions.

Lobby your local TD
The more these issues are raised with TDs, the better the chances of achieving improvement for school leaders, children and staff. You can raise awareness of IPPN’s submission in full, or raise specific items of importance to you in your school leadership role. The contact details for your local TDs are on https://www.whoismytd.com/

IPPN’s Advocacy re. Budget Submissions
See presentation from the IPPN National Council meeting in June as to how IPPN goes about advocating on behalf of members with regard to pre-budget submissions and how the priorities are selected.

Published: 08 September 2022

The Department of Education has sought feedback from IPPN in relation to the procedures detailed in Section 37A of the Education Act, which gives the Minister the power to compel a school to open a special class or provide additional places. The DE is seeking recommendations as to how this process can be improved and has communicated directly with schools & patrons who were engaged in this process, as well as the NCSE and the Advisory group of the EPSEN Act review.

As part of this consultation, IPPN was asked to consider and respond to the following questions:

1. What if any steps could be removed from the current Section 37A process?
2. If such step(s) were removed, what impact would this have on the processes you were engaged in (if any)?
3. What other changes, if any, would you recommend to the current Section 37A process?
4. What consultations, if any, did your school (if applicable) hold with your school community in relation to the Section 37A process?
5. Did the guidance available from PBU on planning and building works support the school where building works were required? If so can you outline any additional supports that would assist with same?
6. What impact did the Section 37A process have on your school/ school community (if applicable)?
7. How much time (approximately) was spent engaging in communications in relation to Section 37A process by your school/ members? (if applicable)
8. If all communications were not required to be published, would this allow more open communication between the school and the Department of Education?
9. Is there any additional feedback on the legislative process in relation to Section 37A?

IPPN would appreciate input from members on any of these questions by Friday 12th September. The submission has to be sent in a week later.