Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 April 2009
162 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science his views on whether school administration staff are becoming over-worked; the measures he will introduce to deal with this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13596/09]
View answerMy Department has introduced a number of measures in recent years aimed at easing the administrative workload of schools. School principals, in particular, play a key role in the successful operation of schools and specific initiatives have been introduced that give more time for school principals to concentrate on the management aspects of their role. The scheme of release time enables teaching principals of primary schools to be released from their teaching duties for a specified number of days annually to undertake administrative leadership and management functions. The number of days release time allowed varies between 14 and 22 and is determined by the number of mainstream class teachers in the school. Paid substitution is provided by my Department for the days that principals are on release time.
In the 2005/2006 school year my Department, following consultation with the relevant education interests, introduced on a pilot basis a system whereby a fully qualified primary school teacher may be employed to act as a nominated substitute teacher for Principals in a cluster of schools taking release days. Twenty clusters have been established under the pilot scheme. Primary schools with a staffing of a Principal and up to 6 mainstream class teachers have a teaching principal. This is outlined in primary circular 0002/2009 which is available on my Department's website, www.education.ie.
Since the start of the 2006/07 school year my Department has introduced further initiatives to assist with reducing the administrative workload of primary school principals. Following the introduction of DEIS in the 2006/07 school year, schools which qualified for the Urban Strand (Band 1 and 2) of the School Support Programme (SSP) are entitled to the allocation of administrative principals on lower enrolment and staffing figures than apply in primary schools generally. Additionally, primary schools with a staffing of Principal plus four or five mainstream class teachers that also have a specialist autism unit established under the approval of the National Council for Special Education are entitled to appoint the Principal on an administrative basis. In the 2006/07 school year the appointment of Deputy Principals on an administrative (non-teaching) basis was introduced at primary level for the first time.
Schools with 24 or more mainstream class teachers (including Developing School Posts and certain posts allocated under Social Inclusion measures) and mainstream schools that, in addition to ordinary mainstream class teachers, also have five or more special classes for children with more complex low-incidence special needs can appoint the Deputy Principal on an administrative basis.
In all of the above instances, a permanent mainstream class teacher may be appointed to replace the Principal and Deputy Principal. The assignment of duties to post holders under the internal management structures within primary and post primary schools also provides support to school principals in meeting school administrative needs. My Department is supporting such school leaders by investing in the Leadership Development for Schools programme (LDS). Since 2002, over 9,000 teachers have successfully completed LDS programmes such as Misneach, Spreagagh, Forbairt, Tánaiste, Cumasú and Cothú from principals to middle managers. Last September, the Leadership Development for Schools Programme also launched a school leadership programme for Aspiring Leaders called Toraíocht which is a programme of professional development for teachers interested in developing their leadership skills.
The funding of the day to day running of Primary and secondary schools is made through capitation grants and likewise school secretarial (and caretaking) services are generally funded by grants related to the number of pupils in the school. This funding is flexible by nature and Boards of Management have discretion in targeting such resources to the priorities of the school. I have recently indicated that I favour a simplification of the grant systems for both primary and second level schools to make the capitation grant mechanism the single funding channel. This approach will also reduce administration and accounting for both schools and my Department.
In addition to the measures outlined above, my Department has in recent years developed and put in place a centralised payroll system for special needs assistants. Work is also ongoing in the Department on the setting up of a payroll service for part-time learning support and resource teachers which is due to commence in September 2009. This and other developments such as the Online Claims System will also help ease some of the administrative workload on schools. My Department will continue to explore further possible measures aimed at reducing the administrative workload of schools and thereby enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of our school system.
