Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 March 2019
5. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will meet an organisation (details supplied) about the administrative workload of teaching principals, the need for administrative release for teaching principals, the restoration of primary teacher supply panels and other matters of concern; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10964/19]
View answerPrincipals are the leaders of the national primary school system. With other Deputies, I have heard many complaints about the increasing and massive workload principals must undertake, particularly since the economic crash. Chonaic mé fógra 0019/2019, dealing with release time for principal teachers in primary schools, issued last week. There was one additional release date per week for some teaching principals, but the Irish National Teachers Organisation does not consider it enough to address the additional work teaching principals, in particular, must undertake.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta fá choinne na ceiste. Aontaím leis an Teachta maidir leis an bhrú atá ar na múinteoirí agus príomhoidí uilig sna bunscoileanna. Tá dualgais agus freagrachtaí orthu agus bíonn an ról ag athrú i gcónaí. Tuigim an fhadhb agus na deacrachtaí.
I have engaged with the relevant stakeholders and I am fully aware of the concerns of school principals. I do not intend to meet the group in question as the issues of concern to the group are being addressed in my ongoing engagement with the primary education forum.
The primary education forum was established in September 2018 and aims to support the planning and sequencing of change in the primary school sector and to exchange information on the intent and impacts of the actions in the Action Plan for Education in order to look for synergies and opportunities to streamline implementation and address workload issues. Through adopting this approach, my Department and partners already have agreed to make several changes to the pace and sequence of planned reforms.
In budget 2019, school leadership was again supported, with an additional release day for teaching principals in primary schools and a further four additional release days for teaching principals in schools with special classes. Building on the number of release days provided in recent budgets is one of my priorities as Minister.
Having listened to the Irish Primary Principals Network, IPPN, which brought to my attention the issue of having a second adult present in one-teacher schools during the school day, my Department is making available additional resources where gaps are identified to ensure that there are two adults present for all of the school day. There is currently no temporary replacement panel to recruit short-term replacement teachers. However, following from the action plan for teacher supply, my Department is currently undertaking an analysis of the potential for a supply panel scheme for primary schools.
I understand the pressure faced by principals, especially teaching principals, and I was delighted to meet principals to discuss this issue when I recently spoke at the IPPN conference. Working towards making progress and addressing this issue is a priority. Some principals could not attend the conference because they could not get substitute cover. I am very aware of the acute problem and that of teacher supply.
It is it is disappointing that the Minister cannot meet representatives of the National Principals Forum. It produced a major survey entitled "This is How Bad Things Are". Approximately 1,200 principals were surveyed. Approximately 60% of them were teaching principals. The striking point is that a shocking 95% or 96% said they were stressed by the workload. Two thirds felt that work was unsustainable. Something like 96% felt there was inadequate release time and that this presented the major challenge. Two thirds had considered stepping down as principal as a result of the intense pressure from all the additional requirements. If one is in a principal's office, one will see the reports, notices and departmental fógraí coming in week after week outlining additional tasks that must be undertaken. The announcement in the Minister's recent notice is welcome but the INTO was looking for a day per week for teaching principals in order for them to address the administrative work. I am aware that the Minister attended the workload forum but some teaching principals, in particular, believe he did not take on board the severity of their workload.
The message, which I am getting individually from members of the group the Deputy mentioned, is quite consistent in terms of initiative overload and the extra pressures. We introduced middle-management leadership at both primary and secondary levels to provide the mid-range leadership posts. The reality is that people in public leadership positions are finding it increasingly difficult. There is a feeling of being judged and of being in a constant 24-7 cycle of work. The old regimes of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., or 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the secondary school system, and of working from Monday to Friday do not exist any more. Principals are taking calls on a Sunday and in July and August. It is about trying to make it easier. Let me give an example of how. Principals have to become construction experts if they have summer works programmes. In a few weeks, I will be opening the summer works programme for summer 2020 to give the principals time, rather than having them rush under pressure in the course of a few months. I have paused the mathematics curriculum change. I have also considered introducing sequencing into the admissions to schools legislation. There are ways in which we can remove the pressure from the principals. I am in that space and hear the concerns of those individuals. I have great confidence and faith in the primary forum, however. It is a great example whereby we do the sounding, checking and testing of various initiatives or other developments coming down the track. The primary forum is excellent for this.
I ask the Minister to reconsider and meet the members of the National Principals Forum and examine the up-to-date research they have on the workload, especially that of teaching principals, who comprise 75% of principals. The Minister mentioned in the circular that there can be a cluster of ten schools in order to share a teacher to allow more administrative release. That is welcome. The Minister's predecessor, Deputy Bruton, talked a lot about restoring the supply panels but he did not take action. That, again, is a major issue for both teaching principals and administrative principals. The number of retired teachers covering substitute needs last year was noticeable. The number is growing year by year. Was this not an important aspect before the crash era? Could the Minister not just go ahead and restore the supply panels? I would like the Minister to meet the principals.
I am happy to read the research. Principals have a great way of getting in contact with politicians directly. A number of principals have been in contact with me directly and I value their input. I would certainly be happy to read the research but, to be honest, I feel the primary forum is the place to do the collaborative work. I have great confidence in that mechanism.
I am committed to addressing the issue of supply panels for substitute teachers. I have already raised it publicly and I certainly will ensure that the officials continue to prioritise it to try to have some mechanism in place in the not-too-distant future.
