As part of the PCW agreement, teachers were asked to accept that ongoing change and non-teaching activities form part of the professional duties of a teacher and, in addition, that in so far as is practicable, these duties, will not serve to reduce the normal arrangements for class teaching time at present applying.
The arrangements for the involvement of the school staff in the performance of the non-teaching professional duties are best made through provision in the overall programme of the school. The incorporation of the arrangements in an overall school programme will provide the opportunity for fairness and equity both for the school and the individual teacher.
In the course of the PCW discussions, management and union representatives stressed that the development of an effective in-school management system requires, as an essential element, the allocation of time for the performance of duties.
The Department of Education and Science accepted that the development of an effective in-school management system could require the allocation of time for duties. On that basis it was proposed that in regard to assistant principals, where possible, schools may allocate time for the performance of duties from existing resources.
The situation will be reviewed one year after its implementation and difficulties identified will be addressed.
The pupil teacher ratio at second level has improved significantly in recent years due to the allocation of additional ex-quota and concessionary posts and the application of a reduced ratio in respect of a range of new programmes which have been introduced in second level schools.