IPPN

Published: 02 July 2009

AT LEAST sixteen primary school principals are retiring in Co. Wexford this year, leading to fears of a massive drain in talent in the local educational system.

Pat Goff, incoming President of the Irish Primary Principals' Network, and current principal of Coolcotts National School, said the positions are proving hard to fill, and that some primary schools could be left without a permanent principal in September.

He said that interest in taking on the job of principal has

been very low. Three jobs advertised in Co. Wexford this year had to be readvertised twice after no applications were received. '

Fifteen primary principals in Wexford will be retiring at the end of the current term. Schools saying goodbye to their current principals this summer include: Kilrane; Poulfour; Ballymitty; Ballycullane; Rathnure; Crossabeg; Castlebridge; St. Iberius, Wexford; Curracloe; Ballindaggin; St. Joseph's, New Ross; Ballythomas; Tagoat; Poulpeasty; and Monageer.

Another principal will be retiring in late October. Schools are also losing deputy principals and other teachers.

''In any normal year you might have two or three retiring. This is a major turnaround,' he said. Around 300 principals are retiring across the country, and an additional 80 secondary school principals,' said Pat Goff.

'You are not going to get a huge number of applications for these jobs. The national average is about two,' he continued. ' The job isn't attractive because of the money and the workload involved. It's a sad reflection. Being principal should be the pinnacle of anyone's career.'

He said the job of teaching principal, which is the post in 70 per cent of schools, is particularly unattractive.

He said that there are several reasons for the sudden upsurge in retirements, which has been reflected in other sectors of the public service. 'Anybody in or around retiring age has decided to retire, primarily because of the Pension Levy,' he said. 'There is also a very real fear that the lump sum is going to be taxed. If you have paid in for forty years, you don't want to see it affected.

'There was also the problem of diminishing resources at school. It's harder and harder to make ends meet. You are struggling all the time and this all adds to the stress.'

'Everyone is suffering cutbacks, but it seems to be hitting the public service a lot more,' he added. 'On the plus side, this means the chances of new teachers getting jobs, which were very slim up to now, have improved. There will also be a major saving for the Department losing people at the top of the scale and bringing in people at the bottom of the scale.'

'We don't know what other cuts are coming,' he added. ' We would very much prefer to protect the pupils at any costs. '