Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 April 2022
480. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education if she has considered a request by an organisation (details supplied) for six exceptional primary school closures per annum to facilitate training following her meeting with this group on 3 November 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17914/22]
View answerThe quality of our teaching profession is a critical factor in sustaining and enhancing the quality of education outcomes. My Department promotes the quality of teaching and learning through the provision of continuing professional development and supports for teachers and principals.
My Department ensures that a range of high-quality models of CPD is provided to teachers and school leaders through it's support services, (such as the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) and Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT)), the national network of Education Centres and appropriate groups, bodies and institutions who are empowered to design, develop and deliver CPD programmes. It is important also to ensure that valuable teacher student contact time is protected.
Under the terms of the Public Sector Agreement 2010-2014 (The “Croke Park Agreement”) teachers were required to work additional hours (the “Croke Park hours” - 33 Post Primary/36 Primary). A central purpose of these hours is to provide for certain essential activities, including CPD, without reducing tuition time and closing schools. The use and timing of these hours was set out in Circular 0025/2011.
It is the responsibility of school management to identify, agree, and assign the usage of the Croke Park hours based on the needs of their individual school. It is expected there will be consultation at the school level on the use of the hours, but ultimately that is a decision for school management.
The school may consider facilitating the training using their Croke Park Hours in separate blocks, one before the end of this school year and the other early in the 2022/23 school year. This may allow the school to use their Croke Park hours to complete the CPD programme while not impacting on planning and meetings.
The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) recognises the importance of whole-school, compassionate and trauma-informed approaches in building safe and connected schools and trauma informed practice is part of the normal day to day work of the educational psychologists. Trauma informed approaches may form part of case work or part of the support and development work and NEPS psychologists work to build teacher capacity in this area. NEPS’ Support and Development work involves the provision of applied psychology services for teachers and school communities to build and maximise their capacity to respond to the needs of all students and those with particular needs. This includes trauma informed education. These professional learning activities may include the provision of training/formal professional learning opportunities including training in the delivery of evidence-informed approaches and early intervention, and working with school communities to develop supportive school structures and processes.
NEPS has developed a series of Wellbeing and Resilience in Schools webinars, exploring the use of whole-school, compassionate and trauma-informed approaches to build safe and connected schools drawing on the existing practice of psychologists in this area. The “Stress Factor” the first webinar in the series for all school staff will be available to all primary and post primary schools after Easter in collaboration with the Education Centre network.
