The first annual conference of the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN) takes place from February 15th to 17th at the Corrib Great Southern Hotel, Galway.
The theme of the conference is Tacaiocht, Misneach agus Spreagadh: The Health and Safety of the Principal Teacher.
This is the seventh annual conference for primary principals, but the first held under the auspices of IPPN, the new representative organisation launched last February.
Sean Cottrell, national director of IPPN, says that one of the key aims of organisation is to promote the health and safety of the primary principal. "The health and safety of principals is at risk because of the unreasonable and excessive demands put on them," he says. "Principals are carrying more than the system intended. Some 78 per cent of principals are also full-time teachers, and it's just not possible to do both jobs anymore."
Cottrell says fewer teachers are applying for principalships because of the stress levels associated with the job. Speakers at the conference include Maureen Gaffney, chairperson of the National Economic and Social Forum, and John Coolahan, professor of education at NUI Maynooth.
