IPPN

Published: 16 October 2019

With effect from 1 November, all new parents will be eligible to avail of an additional two weeks leave during their babies first year as part of the parental leave scheme. It will develop incrementally over the next three years, with both parents being able to benefit from seven weeks leave under the scheme, which will be paid at the same rate as maternity and paternity benefit.

A circular has yet to be issued by the DES regarding its operation at primary level. As soon as it is issued, a synopsis of the circular will be provided in your weekly E-scéal.

Click here for more information regarding existing parental leave arrangements for school employees

Published: 16 October 2019

In the third part of our professional guidance on managing expectations, the focus is on managing the expectations of others. In order to do this, it is essential to make clear what you expect of another person, but even more important is what they can expect of you. They can expect that you will do everything you can to support them in dealing with the issue or situation. However, it does not mean that it becomes your problem to solve. Communication of this message is essential to ensure that each becomes aware of their responsibilities as well as their rights. Be absolutely clear about what action each will take to make progress. Be mindful of the language used – “We are in this together”. “How can we support each other?” “Have we done everything we possibly can do?” “Is there anything else we can do or need to do?” Keep talking. Keep evaluating. We will make mistakes, but we will learn from them and move on.

Published: 10 October 2019

There is no clearer way to say it, Budget 2020 has failed our teaching principals. The cost of the demands made by IPPN to make the teaching principal’s role more sustainable is miniscule - less than €8m, a paltry sum representing 0.073% of an €11bn education budget. We are bitterly disappointed that the Ministers for Education and Rural & Community Development could not back up their verbal support for the leaders of small schools, by providing one leadership and management day per week for teaching principals to alleviate their workload.

Minister McHugh’s expressed aim to ‘find every possible way of helping those schools to move from surviving to thriving’ now sounds very hollow. The Department’s progressive circulars on leadership and management simply cannot be fulfilled without adequate time and capacity to lead and manage our schools.

Click here to view press release

Published: 10 October 2019

Building on the guidance regarding managing expectations begun in the last e-scéal, this week the focus is on managing expectations of self. Until we learn to examine the beliefs we have in relation to self, we will never be in a position to manage the expectations of others – either our expectations of them or their expectations of us. When expectations are not met, conflict ensues.

Ask yourself:

• Do you expect that as a school leader you must solve every problem?
• When someone comes to you with a problem, do you automatically accept it as yours to resolve?
• If you fail to resolve an issue, how do you feel?
• Others may believe that solving all issues is the remit of the school leader. Do you strive to live up to those expectations? If this is the case what does this do to you in terms of your wellbeing?
• How realistic are your expectations of self?
  
  

We all need to be careful about our expectations in relation to self and others, because if they are unrealistic it can make life extremely difficult. It does not mean that we lower our standards or do not try to be the best possible leaders we can be. It does mean that we let go of the pressure to be perfect. 

‘I am good enough.’ (Actually you are.)