In this issue . . . Conference Application Form Principal’s Questionnaire Legal Diary New Website www.ippn.ie Litir ó Roy Keane Professional Expenses - Who Should Pay? A Principal Contrasts Irish and Australian Experience IATSE
IPPN Contact Details Mr. Jim Hayes, President, IPPN, Scoil Oilibhéir, Ballyvolane, Cork. Tel: 086 856 1466 email: president @ippn.ie Tomás Ó Slattara, P.R.O/Editor, IPPN, S.N. na Gráinsí, Cluain Meala, Co. Thiobraid Árann. Tel: 087 648 6801 email: pro@ippn.ie Seán Cottrell, National Director, IPPN, Penrose Wharf, Cork. Tel: 1890 21 22 23 Fax: 1890 21 22 24 email: director@ippn.ie
Irish Primary Principals’ Network
Líonra Príomhoidí Bunscoile Éireann
January 2001
Issue 4
Teachtaireacht ó’n Stiúrthóir Náisiúnta A Phríomhoide, a chara, Tá súil agam gur bhain tú taitneamh as an sos gairid i rith na Nollag agus gabhaim gach dea-ghuí ort san ath-bhlian. The main focus of this newsletter is IPPN’s National Conference in Galway in February. This is the first conference for principals organised by IPPN. Details are in this issue and the application form on a separate insert. Since November we have been active on numerous fronts: • Meetings with Mr. John Dennehy, Secretary General DES, Mr. Peter Baldwin, Assistant Secretary General DES and Mr. Eamon Stack, Chief Inspector DES. • Regional meetings with Principals in Monaghan, Cavan, Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Clare, Limerick, Kerry, Tipperary, Cork, Waterford, Wexford, Dublin (Blackrock). • A meeting with Sr. Eileen Randles, CPSMA. • Meetings with Ms. Mary McGlynn, Director National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (Second Level) and Ms. Mary Hanley, President NAPD. • Development of our new website www.ippn.ie • A meeting with the In Career Development Unit of the DES. • Procurement of national sponsorship for IPPN. • Processing applications and establishing a database of IPPN membership. From January IPPN will be progressing a number of different areas: • The IPPN Conference in Galway - application form enclosed. • Establishment of an administrative office and a secretariat to support the National Committee. See new address at the bottom of this page. • Official launch of website. • Meetings with candidates for INTO General Secretary’s position. • Consultation with DES on Whole School Evaluation. • Fifteen further regional meetings - Midlands and East Coast. Notice of these meetings will be circulated through the Education Centres. • Two further newsletters. • Developing a relationship with our National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) colleagues in the North of Ireland and Britain and developing our international contacts through the International Confederation of Principals (ICP). IPPN Membership: IPPN membership is in a growing phase and I am extremely pleased with current figures given that less than half of our planned regional meetings have been completed. With membership now exceeding 1000, consisting of both teaching and administrative principals and coming from all 26 counties, this is indeed a strong statement on the need for a professional body dedicated to Principal Teachers. I frequently get enquiries about replacement application forms. These can be obtained by contacting me using the e-mail, telephone or fax (details at the bottom of this page), or alternatively from our website, or by contacting our Membership Secretary, Ms. Una McNamara, St. Vincent de Paul G.N.S., Griffith Ave., Dublin 9 - 01 8334697 (School), 01 8367841 (Home). I take this opportunity to remind you that both the CPSMA and the Department of Education and Science have approved the payment of the £50 IPPN membership fee by your Board of Management. It is a very exciting and challenging time for IPPN - exciting because of the newness and historic nature of what we are achieving and challenging because of the high expectations that we have set ourselves. In truth, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Is mise le meas, Seán Cottrell, National Director.
IPPN National Conference Dates: Venue: Theme: Main Speakers:
Thursday (7pm) 15th to Saturday (2pm) 17th February 2001. Corrib Great Southern Hotel, Galway. Tacaíocht, Misneach agus Spreagadh - The Health and Safety of the Principal Teacher. Dr. Maureen Gaffney, Chairperson National Economic and Social Forum Professor John Coolahan, NUI Maynooth. Seminars: Ms. Eileen Flynn - National Co-ordinator for School Development Planning Support (SDPS). Ms. Áine Lawlor - National Co-ordinator for the Primary Curriculum Support Programme (PCSP). Professor Ciarán Sugrue - St. Patrick’s College of Education, Drumcondra. Integrated Special Needs (Speaker to be confirmed). Workshops: 10 concurrent sessions focused on Health and Safety of the Principal Teacher. Substitution: Substitution for Teaching Principals attending the conference will be paid by DES. Application forms: To be returned to: I.P.P.N. Conference Secretary, Galway Education Centre, Town Park House, Tuam Road, Galway. • The conference fee is £50. The conference gala dinner on Friday 16th is £25. A receipt will be issued for your Board of Management. • Applications should arrive not later than Thursday 18th January 2001. • Attendance at this year’s conference is open to all Primary Principals. • All conference applications will be acknowledged in writing after Thursday 18th January. • The number of Principals attending the conference will be limited to 360 and places will be allocated on a first come first served basis. • Enquiries re conference applications only to “The IPPN Conference Secretary” @ 091 758 141. • B & B accommodation is available in the Corrib Great Southern Hotel at the specially negotiated rates of £45 per person sharing, £90 twin room, £65 single. Bookings taken @ 091 755 281. • A round of golf at Athenry Golf Club (7 miles) can be arranged for early arrivers by contacting Pauric or Linda @ 091 794 460. • A heritage tour of Galway Irish Crystal can be booked by contacting Margaret Jordan @ 091 757 311. www.ippn.ie IPPN’s new website is currently under construction. It will be dedicated to the interests and needs of primary Principals and edited and updated on a weekly basis. Among other items there will be a news section, a mailing list for Principals, an archive of useful reports and documents, plus a library of downloadable resources. If you have any resources for administration or some aspect of a school plan that you would like to share through the site please e-mail it as an MS Word or MS Excel attachment to director@ippn.ie. N.B. Please delete any identifying names or other data from your resource item. Go raibh maith agat.
From Australia to Shannon In 1977, I was appointed Principal of a 140 pupil, 6 teacher school in the Blue Mountains, West of Sydney, in Australia. Before I took up my new position I was told I would have to do an orientation course for new principals in a suburb of Sydney. The course took place over a weekend - all day Saturday and half day on Sunday. It was run and given by the Catholic Education Office. During that weekend the other aspiring principals and myself were shown and advised how to manage and run a school. We were also told that in-service for principals was compulsory and a certain amount of courses had to be attended each year. The courses ranged from how to manage administrative time to interpersonal skills. These courses took place during the school week. Substitute cover was provided and expenses for the principals were paid. In 1998, one Friday evening, I finished teaching in a 6th class in Co. Clare. The following Monday I was an Administrative Principal. No orientation course was provided or no regular and compulsory inservice training. I have been encouraged recently by the development of principals support groups through the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN) and am pleased to note that the Department of Education and Science and the In-Career Development Unit are providing some funding to IPPN. John O’Byrne, Principal, St. Conaire’s N.S., Shannon, Co. Clare. Other Professional Groups - IATSE IPPN has found many similarities both in aims and structure between itself and: ILSA Irish Learning Support Association ATTP Association of Teachers of Traveller People IATSE Irish Association of Teaching in Special Education. Denis McCarthy, President of IATSE tells us that current membership is about 550. IATSE organises in-service seminars, makes submissions to relevant bodies, is represented at conferences and seminars in Britain and Europe and organises an Annual International Conference each June. This year’s Conference will be held from 7th to 9th June in St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra. Further details are available from: IATSE Conference Secretary, The Education Centre, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.
NAPD & IPPN meet with the Minister Shay Bannon (ex President NAPD), Minister Ml. Woods TD, Ms. Mary McGlynn (National Director NAPD), John Dennehy (Secretary General DES), Jim Hayes (President IPPN).
Don Té A Bhaineann Sé Leis I want a pay rise. Cutting to the chase, I want £52,000 a week. Well, I am the team captain, am I not? The others look to me for leadership, don’t they? Sometimes I have to tackle really hard and with total commitment. I shore up leaks regularly and am in the firing line when things go belly up. I yell at people, but behind it all I think they at least respect me, sometimes even like me. Those I seek to entertain are often too engrossed in their sandwiches (they generally prefer peanut butter to prawns!) to appreciate the difficulties in our field. If things are going badly they snigger and jibber at us and call us foul nicknames behind our backs. Every season is more demanding than the last. God only knows how often I sign my autograph each day from September to June, how many interviews I do (usually impromptu), with every question a minefield. The Manager and the Board are very supportive, but I know the score there too. As captain I look after younger players, training them twice a week, attending all their matches and organising their transport. They play especially well when the win bonus is mentioned in the dressing room beforehand. I can’t always offer the win bonus though, as my team mates who are themselves seeking a pay rise, might object. I have a role to play in maintaining discipline. If any of the little devils are caught red handed at any mischief it is up to me to investigate. I myself have to watch my temper, as I know what I am capable of if I lose it. But generally things are good. I travel every day to the Theatre of Dreams happy in the knowledge that work for me is a hobby horse for so many. One decent strike would have analysts and armchair critics struggling for cliches. I wonder how long your team could hold out against renewed attacks. We are no longer a hit and hope outfit. We have become more organised, more attack minded. I am no longer prepared to be a sweeper. For too long captains allowed themselves to fall into this role. Bosman has created new opportunities for everyone. There are teams in other areas willing to pay more. I am loyal to my team but loyalty has its price - £52,000 a week. Perhaps you might get the ball rolling. Le grá, Roy Keane, Principal, ( aka Damian White), Killeigh N.S., Offaly.
The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 (Summary) - David Ruddy, IPPN Legal Adviser 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
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Enacted on 5th July 2000. Replaces the School Attendance Act 1926. Provides a statutory framework to deal with problems of: • School non-attendance, • Early school leaving, • Poor educational attainment. Commencement orders over the next two years to ensure implementation of the Act. Establishes a National Educational Welfare Board. Appointment of Education Welfare Officers. The raising of the school leaving age to 16 years or completion of 3 years post-primary education. The provision of a certain minimum education. Children educated at home or in an unrecognised school must seek registration with the Educational Welfare Board. The Principal of a recognised school shall inform, by notice in writing, an Educational Welfare Officer where: • A student is suspended from a recognised school for a period of not less than 6 days, • The aggregate number of school days on which a student is absent. The Educational Welfare Officer concerned shall, as soon as may be after receiving a notification, make all reasonable efforts to ensure that provision is made for the continued education of the student to whom the notification relates. The National Education Welfare Board has a right to appeal the decision of a school Board of Management (to refuse admission or to suspend a pupil for more than six days) under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998. Where the Education Welfare Board fails to have a child returned to school, it shall make other arrangements it considers appropriate to ensure that the child receives a prescribed minimum education. The Board of Management of a school shall, not later than six weeks after the end of each school year, submit a report on the levels of attendance at the school for the school year to: • The Educational Welfare Officer attached to the school, and, • The Parents Association of the recognised school concerned established under Section 26 of the Act 1998. The obligation rests with the Board of Management to consult with Educational Welfare Officers regarding the preparation of codes of behaviour for the school. The obligation rests with the Board of Management to consult with Educational Welfare Officers regarding school attendance strategies to include: • Reward for good school attendance • Identification of children who are at risk • Establishment of closer contacts between the school and families of these at risk. The Education Welfare Board may, with the consent of a parent, arrange for the child to be assessed. If consent is not forthcoming, the Education Welfare Board may apply to the Circuit Court for an order arranging an examination of the child in such manner and at such place specified by the court for assessment. If the parents fail/neglect to cause a pupil to attend school, the National Educational Welfare Board shall serve a “School Attendance” notice on the parents. The parent of a child who contravenes a School Attendance notice shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month, or both. A person guilty of such an offence shall on each day on which he/she continues to contravene a requirement in the School Attendance notice of being guilty of an offence and shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £200 and/or a term of imprisonment not exceeding one month. Where a parent is convicted of an offence under this section, or if the parent has made all reasonable efforts to cause the child to attend school, the Board shall forthwith so inform in writing the Health Board for the area in which the parent concerned resides. Legal update: The Equal Status Act 2000 was enacted on October 25th 2000 and takes immediate legal effect. This act will be referred to in the next IPPN newsletter.
Professional Expenses - Who Should Pay? How many Principals attending IPPN Conference 2001 will pay the conference fee and travel expenses from their own personal and hard-earned salary? (Thankfully, since 1999 IPPN has secured substitute cover for Teaching Principals attending National Conferences). Feedback from previous conferences leads us to believe that there are still many Principals who will be paying these expenses themselves in the interest of promoting and continuing their own personal and professional development. Is this good practice? How do other professions deal with this issue? Should voluntary professional development for Principals be at their own personal or family’s expense? How does this practice fit in with the stated function of a school as per the Education Act Part II Section 9 (J) - also on page 200 of the Board of Management handbook - to: “Use its available resources . . . to ensure that the needs of personnel involved in management functions and staff development needs generally are identified and provided for.” IPPN believes that the time is now very opportune for all Boards of Management to set aside an agreed budget to provide for such expenses. It is standard practice in all other professions. Why not ours?