22nd November 2018
INTO met with the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) on Monday 19th November to discuss a number of issues of mutual interest and concern. INTO President Joe Killeen and Deirdre O’Connor (INTO), alongside Paraic Clerkin, Pat Goff and David Ruddy (IPPN) agreed to work together to deliver for teaching principals. The group has agreed to adopt the term “Leadership and Management Days” instead of “release days/time” as it more accurately reflects the scope of work undertaken on such days. There were also productive discussions on reducing workload, promoting clusters for leadership and management days, staffing and supply panels. It was agreed to convene a further meeting on workload between INTO, IPPN and the Catholic Primary School Management Association CPSMA.
INTO recognises that teaching principals are over-burdened and over-stretched with an ever-increasing administrative workload in addition to their teaching duties. The INTO is currently supporting a Department of Education and Skills ‘cluster’ model whereby a number of schools with teaching principals may pool their days to hire one teacher to cover all posts. This is advantageous to all parties involved, including pupils who benefit from
continuity of the same teacher covering for their class teacher. However, INTO remains committed, along with key stakeholders, to delivering a minimum of one Leadership and Management Day per week for teaching principals.