TUI has criticised a new delay on the filling of school management positions, which effectively scraps the limited alleviation announced with much fanfare by the Minister last summer. The union has warned that schools will struggle to prepare adequately for state examinations as a result of the loss of certain specific posts.
“Year Heads and similar positions provide a critical framework for students, giving them a point of reference if they are experiencing problems of any kind,” said TUI General Secretary Peter MacMenamin.
“For too many students, school is the only safe place they know and the Year Head the only adult mentor they can speak to in confidence about any issue.”
“Once again the most vulnerable students, such as those with special educational needs or those from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds, will suffer worst as a result of the non-filling of these positions. Increased student drop-out as a result is a very real possibility.”
“Typically, such posts would also track student attendance or ensure early intervention in any situations of bullying.”
“In addition to the day-to-day support service to students, posts also facilitate the organisation of state examinations and national certification with the majority of this work concentrated in the spring and summer periods. The role of the examinations secretary is of particularly critical importance in the current climate because they liaise with students to arrange payment for state examinations. This is a hugely sensitive and time consuming position at the moment given the financial predicament in which many families find themselves. There are also various other duties including the arranging of accommodation requirements for students with special educational needs. Inevitably, in schools where this position is unfilled, it will put extra strain on the smooth running of examinations this year.”
“The Department’s latest statement alludes to a review of the process. At the very latest, this must take place by the end of the year to facilitate the filling of positions in early January.”
“As our case study below outlines, the non-filling of these positions is having devastating effects on the service offered to students.”
Department of Education and Skills announcement (14/12/10):
Due to large volume of late retirements the provision in Circular 42/10 that allows post-primary schools to automatically fill Assistant Principal Posts of Responsibility below certain thresholds is now withdrawn with immediate effect (14 Dec 2010). No further Assistant Principal POR appointments can be made pending a review. Post-primary schools below the relevant threshold should notify their Assistant Principal vacancies to the Department.
Case Study:
Aidan is a teacher in a Leinster school with over 800 pupils. The school has lost five assistant principal and three special duties posts in the last two years.
“The situation is infuriating because we’re seeing first hand that the education system is failing those it should be doing most to help. As a result of the moratorium, we have two year groups of around 160 pupils each which have no year head. Principals and deputy principals already have huge workloads, so year heads are effectively the principal for ‘their’ year. This means that there’s now nobody to track or monitor these groups and there’s no early detection of whatever problems they may be having.
There’s little chance of early intervention in bullying cases and the same applies to those with disciplinary problems. Small problems of disruption escalate very quickly if they haven’t been dealt with. Coupled with that, many students are already displaying much more challenging behaviour as a result of new pressures in the current economic climate. Pastoral care is suffering greatly as there’s no role model there for vulnerable young people, no point of reference.
The alleviation announced by the minister in the summer was less than useless, but the further level of bureaucracy now introduced beggars belief. It’s an insult.
St Vincent de Paul donate some money to the school every year but again it’s the year heads who would best advise on deserving cases so now there’s an information deficit and kids miss out. The student council, which promoted good citizenship and gave students more of a sense of ownership of their education, has also fallen by the wayside.
Teachers inevitably take up a lot of the slack through goodwill, but they can only do so much. The same applies to the principals and deputy principals. They’re already overworked and their list of duties extends by the day and things may start falling off the list. Everybody suffers, particularly students and the quality of their education.”