ISSUE 36 • FEBRUARY 2007
F E AT U R E S Growing respect for Principals – Mary Hanafin Don’t shoot the messenger Primary Education – Sound Economics David McWilliams Proper Supports Needed forAutism Units Emily Logan, Ombudsman for Children Implementing the EPSEN Act Strategies for Managing Conflict Director: Seán Cottrell director@ippn.ie President: Tomás Ó Slatara president@ippn.ie Editors: Larry Fleming & Damien White editor@ippn.ie Assistant Editor: Virginia O’Mahony Advertising: marketing@ippn.ie Irish Primary Principals’ Network Glounthaune, Co Cork T: 353 21 452 4925 F: 353 21 435 5648 The opinions expressed in Leadership + do not necessarily reflect the official policy or views of the Irish Primary Principals’ Network ISSN: 1649 -5888 Design and print: Brosna Press 090 6454327 • info@brosnapress.ie
Getting our priorities right A Phríomhoide agus a Phríomhoide Thánaistigh Where would we be without cake sales? Race nights, sponsored walks and table quizzes have become an integral part of Irish culture over the last twenty years. Hundreds of Irish and overseas charities would cease to function in the absence of voluntary fund raising. Although this is no shock to Principals and Deputy Principals, many people would be surprised to hear that Primary Schools are also dependent on fundraising – not for anything luxurious like video conferencing or overseas educational trips – but for the essential day to day running costs. The tragedy is that not only have we grown used to a dependence on fund raising to enable our schools stay open for a full year, we actually ‘celebrate’ how wonderful parents are in supporting their local school. Recently IPPN called for an end to parental fund raising to cover basic costs in schools from September 2007. The reaction from school leaders, Boards of Management as well as parents has been remarkable. It has brought to the surface the fundamental issue of who should pay for Primary Education. If fourth, third and second level education is funded by the Exchequer why is it that the basic running costs of schools are dependent on voluntary contributions? Not only is it a huge waste of time and energy by school leaders and parents organising events and teachers counting money in classrooms brought in by children, it is an insult to the very concept of Primary Education that successive Governments place a lesser value on it. Article 42 (4) of the Irish Constitution states that ‘The State shall provide for free Primary Education’. It is not acceptable to hide behind a legal interpretation PAGE 1
of this phrase where the word ‘for’ offers an opt out clause to the State where it differentiates between providing for free education as opposed to providing free education. The net result is a situation where for every €100 the State gives towards the running costs of Primary Schools, parents must put their hands in their pockets and give their school another €100 to supplement the shortfall. In order to give this €100 parents must earn twice that amount in the first place. When you consider PRSI, PAYE and VAT returns to the state on monies fundraised, you realize that parents are contributing almost as much to the state as the state itself gives towards the running costs of schools. Could this be described as the optimum level of under funding where it is effectively cost-neutral to the State? Perhaps it is time to start a wider debate on the value of Primary Education. What does Primary Education mean in the 21st Century? Who has the right to primary education? Who should pay for it? Who will benefit? Who knows, some day we may have fully funded Primary Education and cake sales for the new Senate. We have triggered this debate for discussion along with many other issues for a ‘Changing Ireland’ at our recent very successful National Conference in Killarney. Full credit and appreciation is due to all those in Kerry, at the Support Office and on subcommittees who were involved in organizing it and who were led so capably by Conference Co-ordinator Angela Lynch. Is muidne le meas Tomás O Slatara
Seán Cottrell