HUNDREDS OF senior management posts in primary schools remain vacant – months after the Department of Education promised to fill them “within weeks’’.
Last night, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) warned of schools “descending into chaos” unless the department moves to ease the embargo on promotions.
In July, the Government announced a limited alleviation for larger primary schools worst affected by the embargo on appointing assistant principals in schools. Over 120 primary schools applied for this alleviation by mid-September. Subsequently, Minister for Education Mary Coughlan told the Dáil that schools could expect to hear of developments “within weeks”.
But the INTO said the response from the department to schools has been “deafening”. “So far schools have heard nothing back from the department,” said INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan.
An INTO survey of 220 large schools shows more than half have applied to the department for posts to be given back. Already in these schools one in four assistant principal posts has been lost due to retirements, transfer and promotion to principal or deputy principal. A significant number of special duties posts have also been lost.
The survey also predicts a further substantial loss of assistant principal posts – if the moratorium remains in place.
Over the next three years the schools surveyed predict a loss of nearly 200 posts, an average of nearly one post per school. However, the impact will not be spread evenly, with some schools expecting to lose all promoted posts, except the principal and deputy principal.
The INTO warns schools will be unable to meet department and legislative requirements if the embargo remains in place.
The survey showed schools having to cut back on planning and co-ordination in several curriculum areas such as maths and computers, and policy areas such as special education, with other schools reporting health and safety issues were compromised.
The INTO said the delay in responding to schools was unacceptable and called on the department to issue positive responses immediately. “It is unfair and unrealistic to expect schools to deliver modern, well-managed schools without the necessary resources,” said Ms Nunan.
