will prevent schools from fulfilling legislative duties
(19 Jan 2010)
TUI believes that the most vulnerable students will suffer as a result of this severe diminution of service with the loss of the vital pastoral, administrative and organisational frameworks that ensure the effective provision of education.
It is also inevitable that schools will no longer be in a position to fulfil certain legislative duties.
TUI General Secretary Peter MacMenamin, following a meeting with TUI Principals and Deputy Principals, explains how the situation will inevitably deteriorate in the coming months unless intervention is made now.
“A large number of principals and deputy principals retired from schools last year, with around 150 in vocational schools alone and approximately a further 30 in Community and Comprehensive Schools. In most cases, these posts are subsequently filled by holders of middle management posts within the same or other schools. When these teachers take up their new principal or deputy principal positions, their middle management posts are left vacant as a result of the block on filling of public service posts.
This is a problem that is being mirrored in schools around the country at a rapidly increasing rate. Effectively, the wheels of the car are being removed to allow for replacement of the engine. It is an utterly destructive situation that will only worsen as more principals and deputy principals retire.
With pension provision to be kept at 2009 levels for those retiring in the next twelve months and falling in line with the pay cut for those retiring after December 31st 2010, it is certain that there will be a surge of retirements in the coming months as teachers nearing retirement seek to protect their pension provisions. This will result in increasingly large numbers of vacant middle management posts in schools.
Typically, these posts would be Year Heads with pastoral and disciplinary functions in many schools, Examinations Secretary, Co-ordinator of State Examinations, responsibility for book allocation, sports, subject co-ordination, school transport co-ordination etc. These vital positions have been deemed un-necessary by the Department of Finance.
In addition to retirements, posts are also left vacant if the holder is absent on short term sick leave or maternity leave.
Schools and education centres rely on these posts to carry out the pastoral care, administrative and other tasks which are fundamental to their operation. The loss of this long established support framework will make it impossible for educational establishments to fulfill many of the legislative requirements pertaining to the welfare of students, health and safety and dealing with issues such as absenteeism and student disruption.
As with all cutbacks to public education provision, it is the most vulnerable students who will suffer the most. Vacant middle management posts make it increasingly difficult to track and mentor students and to make required returns to the NEWB in terms of absenteeism or for timely intervention on behalf of those struggling to remain within the system. Student drop-out, which is already running at around 20%, will inevitably increase as a result of the absence of these supports.
It is no exaggeration to say that the continuing block on the filling of these posts represents a threat to the safe operation of schools. The situation is already critical, but it threatens to become chaotic in many schools unless this rigid and draconion embargo is reviewed.”