Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2017
442. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider introducing one administration day per week for school principals in cases in which there is no walking principal; the cost of this measure; the timeframe for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26748/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraBudget 2017 sets out the resources available for schools for the 2017/18 school year. This Budget represents the start of a major reinvestment in education, and the first phase of implementation of the Action Plan for Education, aimed at becoming the best education system in Europe within a decade. The budget provides for over 2,400 additional teaching posts for our primary and post primary schools next year. This includes additional teaching posts to meet demographic need, curriculum reform, additional resource teaching posts and the strengthening of school leadership.
Circular 12/2016, which is available on the Department website, outlines the number of days that teaching principals may take as release time in a school year in order to assist them fulfilling their principal duties. Under these arrangements my Department pays for a substitute teacher to be employed by a school to facilitate administrative functions to be undertaken by the teaching principal. Under the current arrangements the number of days that principal teachers may take as release time in each school year ranges between 15 and 25 days depending on the size of the school.
Enabling teaching principals to have one release day per week would cost in the order of €12.5 million per annum.
