At the heart of a strong school community is a well-supported school leader. During the pandemic, our school principals rose to the challenge time and time again. It’s critical that teaching principals have time to carry out administrative duties and all schools should have a full restoration of middle management posts. In addition, access to a supply panel of substitute teachers reduces workload for principals and ensures that every child can be taught by a qualified teacher, every day.
Restore middle management posts
Budgets since 2017 have failed to build on restoration of middle management posts, started in Budget 2017. Over 5,000 posts were lost during the recession and the number of middle management posts remains at 73% of what it was in 2009. Budget 2022 must begin the process of delivering the restoration of these posts.
How much does it cost? The estimated cost of lifting the moratorium on posts of responsibility and restoring them to pre-moratorium levels at primary level over a two-year period would be €9.5m per annum and €3.15m in 2022. (Source: Dáil PQ no. 424, 1 June 2021)
A minimum of one day per week for teaching principals
Budget 2022 must provide for the continuation of a minimum of one leadership and management day (release day) per week to enable teaching principals to focus on the vast functions of school leadership they are responsible for. The INTO secured this during the pandemic. We reiterate our demand that this needs to be guaranteed each and every year, to provide for the time to engage in the management of the school.
How much does it cost? The cost of providing one leadership and management day for every teaching principal is €17 million per year. Source: Dáil Q&A no. 408, 1 June 2021). This includes the cost of all days and does not represent the difference in cost between the existing entitlements and the cost of a day per week.
Establish supply panels on a nationwide basis
This union has consistently advocated for the establishment of teacher supply panels to provide substitution for teacher absences. The substitute teacher supply panel has been expanded from a pilot scheme consisting of 6 base schools to 115 substitute teacher supply panels nationwide, with almost 330 newly appointed supply panel teachers employed, providing substitute cover to almost 2,300 schools across the country. This must be extended to cover all primary and special schools.
How much does it cost? No cost was provided by the Department of Education on the running of a national supply panel. (Source: Dáil PQ no. 436, 1 June 2021). We estimate that an additional 100 posts would be required to provide cover to every school. Most of the cost of these panels is already provided for from the substitution budget.
