FEATURE
Principals, deputy principals angry at workload School principals are increasingly engaged in firefighting and covering up cracks, ASTI seminar hears. Almost 150 ASTI principals and deputy principals gathered Principals’ and Deputy Principals’ Advisory Committee for in Athlone for the annual ASTI seminar in March. The discussion and to elicit proposals for future action. overload of work and “death by a thousand Presentations from the Seminar are Guest speakers initiatives” is strangling schools’ ability to available in the events section of the The seminar was addressed by Dr Robert Ryan, concentrate on teaching and learning, the seminar ASTI website – www.asti.ie. Managing Partner with Medmark Occupational heard. Health Care, who focused on Medmark’s current ASTI General Secretary Pat King informed the activity in schools and changes in Medmark’s role seminar that the ASTI had initiated a series of brought about by the changes in teachers’ sick meetings between the second-level management leave entitlements. bodies and teacher unions to address principals’ The Data Protection Commissioner, Billy Hawkes, concerns. These meetings have led to further gave an informative presentation on data protection meetings with the Department of Education and Skills issues for schools, which led to a flurry of questions from at the highest level to impress on them that schools, the floor as principals and deputies reassessed their school teachers, principals and deputy principals are reaching policies in this area. breaking point, and that schools no longer have the capacity to A short presentation from Nathan O’Connor, PRO of the Irish Secondary deliver on more and more initiatives while still trying to maintain the highest Students’ Union, asked that school managers be receptive to the ISSU visiting standard of education for our children. schools and encourage participation by students in their national representative body.
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Questionnaires were distributed to those present with a view to determining the biggest issues causing this ever-increasing and near unbearable workload, and to posit possible solutions.
Presentations from the Seminar are available in the events section of the ASTI website – www.asti.ie.
Workload overload A recent ASTI survey demonstrates the strain principals and deputies are under because of the impact of cuts in schools. The survey shows that the vast majority of principals and deputy principals are undertaking duties previously undertaken by a teacher with a post of responsibility. The majority of deputy principals and more than one-third of principals are undertaking some classroom teaching duties as a result of the increased pupil–teacher ratio (see page 18 for more on the survey). “At a time when strong leadership is more vital for schools than ever before, principals and deputy principals are increasingly tied up with trying to cover up the cracks caused by the education cutbacks,” said John O’Donovan, Chair of the ASTI Principals’ and Deputy Principals’ Committee. Questionnaires were distributed to those present at the seminar with a view to determining the issues causing the greatest workload strain. It was decided that this questionnaire should be distributed to all ASTI principals and deputy principals, and that the results should be analysed and presented to the
Pictured at the Principals’ and Deputy Principals’ Seminar are (from left): John Banville, St Peter’s College, Wexford; Elaine Devlin, Standing Committee; and, Pat King, ASTI General Secretary.
Principals and deputy principals are represented within the ASTI by the Principals’ and Deputy Principals’ Advisory Committee, which is elected biennially at the Principals’ and Deputy Principals’ Seminar. The members of the current committee, which serves until 2014, are: John O’Donovan (Chairperson); Katherine Bulman; Una Byrne; James Anthony Carty; Eilis Casey; John Cleary; Michael Davitt; Leo Golden; Shane Hallahan; Mary Keane; Tim Kelleher; Liam Murphy; Michael O‘Loughlin; and, Adrian Oughton.
ASTIR Volume 31: Number 3: May 2013
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