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NAPD PRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS Leader - PORTRAIT OF A PRESIDENT
NAPD
    PRINCIPALS   AND   DEPUTY PRINCIPALS

Leader

                                                          PORTRAIT OF A
                                                            PRESIDENT
                                                            Paul Byrne leads
                                                            NAPD into 2016
Winter 2015                    A Publication of the National Association of
                                      Principals & Deputy Principals          NAPD
                                                                                 01
                                                                              PRINCIPALS   AND   DEPUTY PRINCIPALS
NAPD PRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS Leader - PORTRAIT OF A PRESIDENT
NAPD
                                                                                                                                                                                                     PRINCIPALS   AND   DEPUTY PRINCIPALS

CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS
                                                                                                                                                                                   Leader

           Page 8                       Page 11                                                                                                    Page 41                                   Page 48
 Traveller tragedy in Carrickmines    Paul O’Connell, Man of the Year,                                                                    Europe feels the impact of the                       Mairéad McGuinness and
                                            Outstanding Leader                                                                                Middle-East conflict                               Paddy O’Conor at the
                                                                                                                                                                                               Creative Engagement expo

FEATURES                                        30                                                                                                                                 36
                                                School Leaders’                                                                                                                    College Awareness Week
8                                               Well-Being                                                                                                                         Happy faces of high achievers at the launch
After Carrickmines                              Report on 2015:
Does it take ten deaths to awaken               statistics and recommendations                                                                                                     39
our consciences?                                Philip Riley                                                                                                                       Creating Effective
Una O’Neill                                                                                                                                                                        Learning Environments
                                                32                                                                                                                                 Graham Powell and Mike Hughes –
10                                              In the Wake of the                                                                                                                 Workshops for leaders
CSL Launch                                      Marriage Referendum                                                                                                                Barry O’Callaghan
An important step forward for                   An interview with former BeLonGTo
school leadership in Ireland                    Director, David Carroll                                                                                                            41
                                                Derek West                                                                                                                         Dare to Change
11                                                                                                                                                                                 Disability Access Route to Education
Conference 2015                                 35                                                                                                                                 Kieran Houlihan
Mary Nihill:                                    Profile of a President
Presidential speech
                                                Paul Byrne is the new leader of NAPD – we                                                                                          41
Jan O’Sullivan:                                 talk to him about his work in school and                                                                                           The Learning School Project
Minister’s address to Conference                with the Association                                                                                                               Report on an initiative in Cork, West Cork,
Philip Matthews:                                                                                                                                                                   Clare and Kerry
Leadership is a Way of Being                                                                                                                                                       Collated by Barry O’Callaghan
The New Executive:                                             NAPD
                                                                PRINCIPALS   AND   DEPUTY PRINCIPALS

The full Committee
                                                            Leader                                                                                                                 48
Workshop Reports:                                                                                                                                                                  Creative Engagement Expo
FE, Gaeilge, Cúram                                                                                                                                                                 The story and the pictures
                                                                                                                                                                                   Article by Dermot Carney
27
The Burning Issues                                                                                                    PORTRAIT OF A
                                                                                                                        PRESIDENT                                                  REGULARS
On ‘positives noises’ in the system                                                                                     Paul Byrne leads

                                                            Winter 2015
                                                                                                                        NAPD into 2016
                                                                                           A Publication of the National Association of
                                                                                                  Principals & Deputy Principals           NAPD
                                                                                                                                              01
                                                                                                                                            PRINCIPALS   AND   DEPUTY PRINCIPALS
                                                                                                                                                                                   4 Paul Byrne, NAPD President
John Walshe                                                                                                                                                                        5 The National Executive
                                                           This Month’s Cover
                                                                                                                                                                                   35 The Leader Reader
                                                                             Paul Byrne
                                                                                                                                                                                   41 The Esha Column
                                                     Portrait by Charlie McManus

    4     NAPD Leader
NAPD PRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS Leader - PORTRAIT OF A PRESIDENT
NAPD
                                                                                                                                                        PRINCIPALS   AND   DEPUTY PRINCIPALS

                   FROM THE EDITOR FROM THE EDITOR
                                                                                                                                      Leader
                                                                                                                                      EDITOR:
                                                                                                                                      Derek West

                                                              The Urgent                                                              Email: derek.west43@gmail.com
                                                                                                                                      Mobile: 087 289 1443

                                                              Need for Strong                                                         EDITORIAL BOARD
                                                                                                                                      Clive Byrne, Anne Duggan,

                                                              Leadership                                                              Tim Geraghty, Mary Nihill,
                                                                                                                                      Barry O’Callaghan, Áine O’Neill,
                                                                                                                                      Ger O’Sullivan, Derek West
Photo: Nick West

                                                                                                                                      Photography by: Charlie McManus,

                                                           R     ecent storms have battered our shores, rattled our
                                                                 slates and promised multiple outages. We duck our
                                                           heads and shuffle on in hope.
                                                                                                                                      David MacPherson, Paddy Boyle,
                                                                                                                                      Derek West, Dermot Carney

                   On the world stage, we face even greater upheaval, with the massive movement of displaced                          ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS
                   people and carnage erupting indiscriminately, leaving a growing sense of insecurity and anxiety.                   How to contact Leader
                                                                                                                                      You can send your comments, replies,
                   Never, it seems, have we had such an urgent need for strong leadership. If the vacuum is left in
                                                                                                                                      letters to the editor etc.
                   place, there is no predicting what will rush in to fill it. The cataclysm in the Middle East is rippling
                                                                                                                                      E: derek.west43@gmail.com
                   outwards in ever-widening circles that will touch even our lives. Who can bring in calm and order
                   and stability? Leadership is not just about inspiration, encouragement and creativity. It entails crisis
                   management, but not that of the knee-jerk variety; it calls for persuasion, diplomacy, firmness.                   DISCLAIMER
                   In the microcosm that is our own education system there is also a crying need for leadership and                   Articles produced in this publication
                   vision:                                                                                                            solely represent the opinions of the
                                                                                                                                      authors and do not necessarily reflect
                   We have a handicapped curriculum reform, caught in a cross-fire between those who can envisage                     those of NAPD. Every effort has been
                   the benefits and those who cannot see beyond their own negativity.                                                 made to fulfil requirements with regard
                                                                                                                                      to reproducing copyright material.
                   We have a teaching profession that is being paralysed by inertia. Young teachers entering service
                                                                                                                                      NAPD will be glad to rectify any
                   face lowered salaries, few if any promotional prospects and an edict from a trade union that
                                                                                                                                      omissions at the earliest opportunity.
                   prohibits voluntary duties within the school structure. The teachers’ rejection of the Lansdowne
                   Agreement will do nothing to restore industrial calm.
                                                                                                                                      PUBLISHING INFORMATION
                   There are significant challenges to the status quo around the continuing denominational basis of
                   school ownership, patronage and governance. A denomination-based ethos may assure the                              Published by NAPD
                   conservation of certain values, but it can protect privilege or create an exclusion mechanism, in a                Layout & Print:
                   landscape that is increasingly multi-national, multi-cultural and in which the clamour for equity                  Mark Daniel, CRM Design & Print,
                   and equality is becoming louder and louder by the day. A New Ireland is bringing pressure to bear                  Unit 6, Bridgecourt Office Park,
                   on the old.                                                                                                        Dublin 12.
                   Mary Nihill, speaking as President of NAPD, in Galway last October, brought these two strands
                   together                                                                                                           CONTACT INFORMATION
                   At this point in our country’s history, as we celebrate the centenary of the 1916 Uprising, which had its roots    11 Wentworth, Eblana Villas,
                   in a vision for an egalitarian society, and 22 years since we last debated education at a national level, I am     Grand Canal Street Lower,
                   proposing that we need another National Consultative Forum on the true meaning of education at all levels          Dublin 2
                   for the Ireland of 2016… I firmly believe that now we need a reappraisal of, and a national debate on, an          Tel: (01) 662 7025
                   overall strategic direction for our education system, so as to develop one which will provide every student with   Fax: (01) 662 7058
                   fulfilling educational experiences at every stage in a lifetime of learning.                                       www.napd.ie
                   Pádraig Pearse coined the phrase ‘the murder machine’ to characterise all that is worst in                         Email: info@napd.ie
                   education. He might be pleased with many of the changes and reforms that have come about in
                   the young republic, but he might also note how we have yet failed to fully address the cries of the
                   marginalised – those, like the Travellers, who come from within our community, and those who
                   have come to these stormy shores seeking shelter and safety and learning.
                   Mary’s call for a Forum is timely. With the establishment of the Centre for School Leadership, we                      Find NAPD On-Line
                   have an opportunity to look at our theories and our policies but also, for the times that are in it,                      [www.napd.ie],
                   to apply them in a positive, practical and humanitarian manner.                                                                on
                                                                                                                                      Facebook, Twitter and Vimeo.
                   Derek West, December 2015

                                                                                                                                                     NAPD Leader                       5
NAPD PRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS Leader - PORTRAIT OF A PRESIDENT
REFLECTIONS ON…
                     What remains of my schooldays
                                                     Paul Byrne, President

R
        ecently I had to “take to the bed” because of a case of                       This was in for all intents and purposes a sort of time capsule
       flu. Fortunately it was at the start of midterm! Albert                          and we did this on every other roof we made. I was learning
       Einstein said “Education is what remains after one                                 Stoite in school at the same time I was at this roofing job
has forgotten what one learned at school.” I started to                                    and literally “the penny dropped” and I “got” the essence
reflect on what remains from my own school days. I                                          of the poem. It has stayed with me ever since.
never liked primary school and the memories from there
would not serve any useful purpose unless to show how                                        The Listeners by Walter de la Mare
far the teaching methodologies and curriculum reform,
                                                                                              The second item which has stayed with me is the
which took place in our primary system, have
                                                                                             famous classic The Listeners by Walter de la Mare. How
transformed the nature of primary education for the
                                                                                            many other poems on the English syllabus will have us
better.
                                                                                          reading them in thirty years’ time? I have tried to reason
So what has remained with me from my post primary                                       why this has stayed with me and I think that because as I now
education? I completed three sets of state examinations during                       know, I am a visual learner, I can “see” this poem clearly. It is a
my five years of secondary education and I really cannot give an                kaleidoscope of images knitted together to form an intriguing story
accurate account of my results in any of these exams; nor can I              which poses so many questions which only we ourselves can answer. I
remember actually doing any of them. This would probably suggest that        am sure that I am not the only one of a certain vintage who will always
I was not too stressed about them. The day I received my Leaving             carry “The Listeners “as a treasured legacy of their school time.
Certificate results – and I do remember I was well pleased with them –
I also received another envelope embossed with a harp which was              The Trout by Seán Ó Faoileán
offering me an apprenticeship in what was then the Army Apprentice
                                                                             The last abiding memory of the post primary school curriculum which
School in Naas.
                                                                             remained with me and which I go back to read from time to time is the
 As I had wanted to become a woodwork teacher and had the Leaving            short story by Sean Ó Faoileán called The Trout. I will never forget when
Certificate grades to go to Thomond College, I had a choice to make. I       my English teacher Miss Seal read the first lines “One of the first places
consulted my career guidance expert, my Dad, and the decision was easy       Julia always ran to when they arrived in G—- was The Dark Walk.” Miss
to make from there. He gave me sage advice to get a trade and if I           Seale was greeted with a chorus of “Miss, Miss, G—- is for
wanted to go to college afterwards the opportunity would still be there.     Graiguenamanagh! We can show you the dark walk” this was even
It is a decision which I am happy I made and I am eternally grateful to      though we had never heard the story before. Miss Seale did not believe
my Dad. So the question of what has remained with me from my school          us at first as she was not local, but after consulting with the Principal
days in Graiguenamanagh Vocational School?                                   she agreed to allow us to take her to the dark walk and to show her the
                                                                             Well. It was as much a surprise for her to see the overgrown laurel walk
I developed a love of problem-solving through woodwork and technical         and the well as it was as for us to find out that Sean Ó Faoileán had
drawing classes and my admiration for an inspirational woodwork              written about it capturing the sight, sounds and the smell of the place.
teacher, Mr. Daly, shaped my career path. I was blessed with a number        The end of the story mentioned “She heard the fishing-reel whirring”.
of outstanding teachers who were fantastic role models and champions         This also resonated with me as my mother’s family had always fished
of learning. I also left secondary school with a love of History and         for trout and salmon in the very spot where the trout would have been
English. I also had developed a love for learning. Apart from these most     released.
valuable attributes I want to reflect on three topics from the school’s
curriculum that remain vivid in my mind. I will share them with you and      Why have these three elements of my education stayed with when
why I believe they have stayed with me for over thirty years.                many more momentous ones have not. Well the first one was for me a
                                                                             “eureka moment” when I identified with what the poet had intended
                                                                             me to feel. The link between poetry and life was real and tangible to me
Stoite by Máirtín Ó Direáin                                                  for the first time.
The first of these is the Irish poem Stoite by Máirtín Ó Direáin. Here the
poet is contemplating his mortality and contemplating what legacy the        The Listeners on the other hand is a great example of how thirty six lines
work he carried out will leave, compared to the legacy he would have         of poetry written in 1912 can transcend time to create enough emotion
left if he had stayed working on Inis Mór.                                   and intrigue and to generate a lasting impression on a sixteen year old
                                                                             for life. My experience with The Trout shows how one (unplanned)
It was at this time I began working with my older cousin John. We            active learning experience can have a lifelong impact. The class wanted
completed many fine roofing and plastering jobs together over the            to know more about the story and the author and the period in which
years. I was eager to learn and he was a very adept teacher. We had          the story set. Graham Powell would be well impressed with this “hook”
taken an old roof off a building which we were reroofing and I found         for learning. Imagine if we had more active learning which would make
an old penny under the corner of the wall plate which had been               learning more relevant for our students by linking the world outside
deliberately placed there. When I showed it to John he told me that the      the school environment with the curriculum. Imagine the number of
carpenter who had put the last roof on the house was a man called            lifelong learning experiences this would create. The new Junior Cycle
Jacksey Fenlon and this was his marker. The year on the penny was the        Framework when implemented will allow teachers the opportunity to
year he started the roof. When we laid the new wall plate we replaced        adopt new teaching methodologies and create this type learning
the penny and also laid another coin of our own, marking the date we         experience. Do any of us have to argue any further the benefits to be
had reroofed the building.                                                   gained through this long overdue curriculum reform?

     “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one learned at school” –
                                         Einstein

    00     NAPD Leader                                                                                                   NAPD Leader           01
NAPD PRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS Leader - PORTRAIT OF A PRESIDENT
NAPD
                                                           PRINCIPALS   AND   DEPUTY PRINCIPALS

                    THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE
  Meetings of the National Executive took place on the 14 and 16 October 2015 in the Radisson Hotel, Galway
         and on the 17 November in the Heritage Hotel Portlaoise. Among the items discussed were;

    Resources for Junior Cycle                      Graham Powell & Mike Hughes                            College Awareness Launch
The President and Director briefed the                       seminars                                 The Tánaiste and Minister for Social
Executive on a number of meetings which                                                               Protection, Joan Burton, officially launched
                                                   Following a recommendation from the
have been held between NAPD and the three                                                             College Awareness Week in the new DIT
Management Bodies to explore agreed                Leading 4 Learning committee, the Executive        Campus, Grangegorman, on 23 November
strategies to ensure that adequate resources       sanctioned a series of six seminars to take        and the Minister for Education and Skills, Jan
are available to school leaders as the             place throughout the country involving             O’Sullivan, performed a simultaneous launch
implementation of CPD begins for English,          Graham and Mike. These will be in a different      in the Limerick College of Further Education.
Science and Business. The implications for         format to the seminars offered by the late         The week was an outstanding success with
schools and for the DES in terms of cost is        Paul Ginnis in that they will be targeted at 8-    over 600 events taking place nationwide –
enormous. NAPD is keen to have an agreed           10 schools, will involve an initial session with   double the number of events which took place
position with the management bodies in             the principal and deputy and three follow-up       last year. NAPD works in collaboration with
negotiations with the Department to                sessions with additional staff, with Skype         the Trinity Access Programme, the NPCpp,
maximise the benefits of the in-service for         consultations being possible The cost for          the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, the
teachers and to minimise the disruption in         schools to participate was set at €500.            Higher Education Authority, IBEC, the ISSU,
schools as a result of the level of substitution                                                      USI and access offices nationwide to ensure
involved. A series of meetings between the                              NAPD-R                        the success of the programme which is
NAPD, Management Bodies and the DES is                                                                designed to encourage individuals to consider
ongoing.                                           At the October Executive meeting Anthony           educational opportunities post compulsory
                                                   Condron gave his last report to the Executive      schooling. Allied Irish Banks and Perrigo
                                                   as NAPD-R representative. He reported on the
      Thomas Francis Meagher                       campaign to achieve pension parity, a very
                                                                                                      financially support the campaign and their
                                                                                                      support as part of their Corporate Social
           Foundation                              successful golf outing and a wonderful Dinner      Responsibility    programme       is   much
                                                   and AGM for members in the Castleknock             appreciated.
The Executive supports the Foundation and          Hotel. Anthony has been replaced on the
its drive to promote the national flag as a         Executive by Ger Looney and Ger gave the
symbol of peace. The campaign to deliver the
                                                   report at the November meeting. He advised
                                                                                                        Professor Philip Nolan’s offer
flag to every school in the state is ambitious
and the efforts of the defence forces are much
                                                   that spring lunches will take place in Dublin,              to visit regions
                                                   Cork and Galway and that there will be a May
appreciated in the primary sector. Those post-                                                        Maynooth University President, Professor
                                                   social and overnight in the Ormonde Hotel
primary schools who did not receive their flag                                                         Philip Nolan, who chairs the Transitions
                                                   Kilkenny, as well as the usual golf tournament
at the ceremony with President Higgins in                                                             Group from second to third level, has offered
                                                   in Thurles. It is hoped that NAPD-R will take
Waterford last year will be presented with                                                            to visit NAPD regional meetings to dialogue
                                                   part in a European funded project dealing with
one at a major ceremony in Dublin in March.                                                           with colleagues on the need to reform, the
                                                   coaching and mentoring. The deadline for
                                                                                                      new grading structure for the Leaving
                                                   application is March.
      Transgender Round Table                                                                         Certificate and broader course entry to
                                                                                                      various faculties such as engineering, science
Director, Clive Byrne, was asked to participate        Joint Oireachtas invitation                    and paramedical. The rationale is to reduce
in a round-table discussion on the issue of                                                           the stress on students caused by the point’s
how our education system caters for pupils              regarding the allocation of                   race and to minimise the effects of institutions
presenting as Transgender. It was a very                       SEN resources                          that are trying to game the system with very
informative event with most stakeholders                                                              small cohorts for certain courses which will
present. Two follow-up meetings have taken         The President and Director represented the
                                                                                                      inevitably drive the points up. NAPD head
place and an in-service day will be held this      Association at a session of the Joint
                                                                                                      office is liaising with Professor Nolan’s office
month to advance matters further.                  Oireachtas Committee on Education and
                                                                                                      but if he comes to a regional meeting near
                                                   Social Protection on 18 October. The               you, be sure to try to attend because I’m sure
                                                   committee wished to explore the allocation of
         Stand Up Campaign                         SEN resources at second level. Also before the
                                                                                                      you’ll find his presentation refreshing and
                                                                                                      forward looking.
Monday 23 November was the launch date             committee was the NCSE and a representative
for the annual Stand Up Campaign in support        group of parents with children who had
of LGBT students in our schools. Stand Up was      special educational needs. NAPD’s submission                Creative Engagement
launched in Limerick and NAPD was                  is available on the committee website but the      The Executive thanked the Arts Committee,
represented at the launch by Past President,       exchanges which occurred were relevant,            chaired by Mary Hanley, and Arts Off icer,
Padraig Flanagan.                                  informative and forward looking.                   Dermot Carney, for the very successful

     6     NAPD Leader
NAPD PRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS Leader - PORTRAIT OF A PRESIDENT
Creative Engagement Exhibition held in
Collins Barracks in October. Works featured
                                                              reports tabled at the General Assembly which
                                                              was chaired by Clive Byrne as President of
                                                                                                                                         Teaching Council
as part of the Creative Engagement Initiative                 ESHA. Paul Byrne represented NAPD. There                       NAPD is not represented on the Teaching
will feature in the NAPD calendar which will                  was extensive discussion of the diff iculties                  Council but effective channels enabling
be circulated to members shortly. The                         posed in the education sector by the migrant                   participation have evolved over time as a
programme is a vital part of Arts-in-Education                crisis and personal experiences were given of                  result of the credibility built up by the
and is supported by the Department of                         some of the diff iculties by delegates from                    Association and also the quality inputs given
Education, the Department of the Arts and                     German, the Balkans and Sweden where there                     by NAPD when requested. Tim Geraghty
the Heritage Council.                                         are 40,000 unaccompanied minors. There was                     represents NAPD on a number of working
                                                              an election for two members of the Executive                   groups established by the Council and he gave
                                                                                                                             members an update on the progress at post-
           Dáil na n-Óg –                                     Board who were retiring by rotation. Barbara
                                                              Novinec from Slovenia and Jens Nillsen from                    primary of the Droichead initiative on teacher
       Priorities for next year                               Demark were elected to fill the vacancies.                      induction and mentoring as well as the Cosán
                                                                                                                             process which is ongoing. NAPD will make a
NAPD is represented on the Expert Panel of
                                                                                                                             formal submission as part of the Cosán
Advisors to Comhairle na n-Óg and was                                Centre for Leadership Update                            consultations.
consulted on the very successful
implementation of their priority action for the               Briefing meetings have been held by the CSL
last school year – the Let’s go Mental                        team with all relevant bodies, organisations                                         NCCA
Campaign designed to raise awareness of                       and agencies to inform and advise of the work
                                                              of the centre over the next three years. The                   Director Clive Byrne is a nominee of the
mental wellbeing among our young people.                                                                                     Minister for Education on the NCCA Council
The current Dáil na n-Óg met on the 27                        Executive noted that the Centre will be
                                                              officially launched by the Minister on                         which met on November 5. A key change this
November in Croke Park and were addressed                                                                                    year is the move to paperless meetings and
by Minister O’Reilly and Minister O’Sullivan.                 December 1.
                                                                                                                             council members were issued with an iPad to
Their priorities for the next year are                                                                                       enable this initiative. It will be interesting to
educational and they will campaign for the
student voice to be heard in matters that
                                                                         Wellbeing Seminar                                   see how this works out because the iPad can
                                                                                                                             only be used for NCCA business – probably a
effect their participation in school. Expect                  The Director reported on an excellent seminar
                                                                                                                             wise move. The Council has established a
then that issues to do with school uniform,                   organised by IPPN which was also open to
                                                                                                                             Board for Junior Cycle and a Board for Senior
subject choice at senior cycle etc. will be to the            second level and at which he’d been invited to
                                                                                                                             Cycle. NAPD has been asked to chair the
fore.                                                         speak. Over 500 delegates were present on
                                                                                                                             Board for Senior Cycle which met for the first
                                                              the day in Citywest and powerful
                                                                                                                             time towards the end of November. The next
                                                              presentations were given on the challenges
               ESHA Report                                    faced by staff and students in our schools.
                                                                                                                             NCCA meeting is on the 17 December.
There was a meeting of the ESHA General                       Follow up meetings have been arranged to
Assembly in Bergen, Norway, over the                          draw up an action plan for presentation to the
October half-term. Information was shared                     Taoiseach who addressed delegates and urged
about Erasmus+, 21st Century schools, coping                  those present to do more to promote being
with critical incidents as well as the usual                  well in our schools.

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NAPD PRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS Leader - PORTRAIT OF A PRESIDENT
BUDGET 2016
                                            by Tim Geraghty
                                                                                                                                  It demonstrates – if it ever needed
                   THIS IS HOW THE MONEY IS SPENT                                                                                 demonstration – that schools are people rich
                                                                                                                                  environments with almost 60% of the annual
                                                                                                                                  education budget being spent on pay and less
                                                                                                                                  than 30% on non-pay and capital projects.
                                                                                                                                  Effective teaching and learning depend on
                                                                                                                                  visionary leadership and wise husbandry of
                                                                                                                                  resources. This can only happen when school
                                                                                                                                  leaders have time and a structured middle
                                                                                                                                  leadership team in place that facilitates a
                                                                                                                                  distributed leadership process.
                                                                                                                                  To this end the partnership between the DES,
                                                                                                                                  NAPD and IPPN in establishing the Centre for
                                                                                                                                  School Leadership (CSL) is significant with an
                                                                                                                                  investment of €3m over the next three years.
                                                                                                                                  The centre’s brief over the next three years is
                                                                                                                                  to provide mentoring for newly appointed
                                                                                                                                  principals and deputy principals, coaching for
                                                                                                                                  school leaders who wish to enhance their
                                                                                                                                  capability and to develop existing provision
                                                                                                                                  for aspiring school leaders. At the launch of
                                                                                                                                  CSL Minister O’Sullivan said “We know that
                                                                                                                                  the quality of school leadership is a key
                                                                                                                                  determinant of school effectiveness and the

A
       government’s annual budget faces          The Minister for Education and Skills has
      economic, political and social pressures   provided 550 posts at post-primary level in                                      achievement of good learning outcomes”
      and while classic economic theory          2016, to enhance guidance counselling and                                        It is heartening, also, to see a step taken on the
focuses on the wise allocation of scarce         school leadership. In doing this, she stated,                                    road to restoring Guidance and Counselling
resources, the demands of different interest     “Strengthening leadership in schools is a                                        capacity in our schools. A recent paper by the
groups invariably mean that a budget can         serious issue and part of this allocation will                                   Institute of Guidance Counsellors articulates
rarely satisfy all requests for favourable       also be used to enhance the role of deputy                                       clearly the role of the Guidance Counsellor in
consideration.                                   principals at post-primary level in schools with                                 counselling, prevention, developmental
                                                 less than 500 students and will allow deputy                                     education guidance and in consultation,
Nonetheless, there is evidence in the
                                                 principals to reduce their teaching time and                                     planning and co-ordination. It is an insightful
education budget that there is a reflective
                                                 focus on leadership and management”                                              conceptualisation of the potential that
understanding in the DES of the pressure
points in the educational system.                In terms of the wise and effective use of                                        effective Guidance and Counselling provision
                                                 resources this is critical. Education is the third                               can deliver.
Some are relatively self evident and must be
                                                 largest spending department after Social
addressed. The Department’s own document,
                                                 Protection and Health.
“Identifying Demand” recognises that
demographic growth over the next decade
will have to be met by increased teaching
capacity.                                                                                                     When it comes to the busy school environment, Marmoleum offers the best long
                                                                                                              term value due to its hard wearing reputation and ease of maintenance. Its rich
Projected Pupil Enrolment Numbers: Post-                                                                      colours and design options helps create a vibrant and attractive learning environment
                                                     and because it is made from natural materials, the wider environment is also protected.
Primary
                                                     To find out more call   01 289 8898 or email info@forbo-flooring.ie
              2014 – 333,302

          2020 – 375,000 approx.

          2025 – 400,000 approx.

The DES has allocated 370 second level
mainstream teachers and 155 second level
resource teachers to address this
demographic demand in 2016.
NAPD has long promoted the importance of
the leadership agenda and there is a growing
recognition in the budget and elsewhere of
the importance of properly resourcing
                                                                                                                                                                              creating better environments
leadership in our schools.

   00      NAPD Leader                                                                                                                                       NAPD Leader                      01
NAPD PRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS Leader - PORTRAIT OF A PRESIDENT
AFTER CARRICKMINES
By Una O’Neill

W
             hen two Traveller families died in Carrickmines in south        many times. I recall experiencing a sense of utter hopelessness and
            Dublin recently, shock and grief was expressed throughout        despair eight years ago on hearing the news of the death by suicide of
            the country. But the limits of this sympathy quickly became      a young Traveller man. His death was followed by the similar tragic
clear when residents of Glenamuck formed a blockade to prevent the           death of his cousin in the same town. The suicide rate for Travellers
families from relocating to a site beside their estate. On hearing these     remains 6.6% above that of settled people. 11% of all Traveller deaths
reports, I felt a grim sense of déjà vu. I was reminded of the 20 years of   are caused by suicide. These must be thought of as lives, and not just
my career that I spent working as a Visiting Teacher for Travellers,         numbers.
where I encountered countless ‘Glenamuck’ type incidents.
We must realise that Glenamuck is not an isolated case. It is a sad            When institutional racism is allowed to
reflection of the pervasive hatred and animosity towards Travellers that       persist in a system as central to the
is permitted in Irish society. These residents were educated in our            health of our society as education, it
schools, by our teachers. Our education system has produced                    permeates the rest of society
generations of people who feel no shame in publicly and freely
expressing their hatred of a whole community.                                I worked with both of these young men and their families when they
As a Visiting Teacher for Travellers, I frequently felt the depth of that    each had their applications to transfer to secondary school rejected.
hatred and animosity when trying to achieve the most basic rights for        Indeed, the same school rejected the applications of every single
Traveller children and their families. I witnessed racist prejudice in my    Traveller boy in the town. The reason given to each family, regardless
dealings with every type of organisation, county councils, Gardaí, health    of their intelligence, abilities, needs or ambitions were the same: “We
officials, politicians, residents, and my fellow teachers.                   are sorry we don’t have the resources to meet your son’s needs in our
                                                                             school.” The reason I was given as Visiting Teacher was that this school
                                                                             was not willing to be the first school in the town to enrol Travellers. I
  A sad reflection of the pervasive hatred                                   was told that if I managed to get the other boy’s school, which was a
  and animosity towards Travellers                                           privately owned institution, to enrol the Travellers, then they would be
                                                                             accepted.
A major source of these negative incidents during this time was the issue
of school enrolment policies. I encountered a range of different             The position adopted by this school was supported by every layer of
methods of attempting to justify the refusal to enrol Traveller pupils.      bureaucracy. The logjam was only broken when the privately owned
When an institution puts in place conditions of access, rules or             secondary school enrolled two Traveller boys. The position of the school
requirements, which result in the exclusion or mistreatment of a             then became untenable and it was forced to open its doors to Traveller
particular group in this way, this constitutes institutional racism. When    students.
institutional racism is allowed to persist in a system as central to the
health of our society as education, it permeates the rest of society. It       Austerity measures…have decimated the
provides a tacit agreement that this behaviour is not just permissible         educational supports available to
but somehow normal.
                                                                               Travellers
I have witnessed the impact of institutional racism in education too

    00     NAPD Leader                                                                                                  NAPD Leader          01
NAPD PRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS Leader - PORTRAIT OF A PRESIDENT
black students identifying with a high achieving role model. If Travellers
                                                                                  were similarly recognised as a distinct minority, with powerful role
                                                                                  models, unafraid to express their identity, there is every indication that
                                                                                  similar strides in school achievement would be achieved.

                                                                                    What we should see as a result of these
                                                                                    programs is better outcomes for Traveller
                                                                                    students
                                                                                  Programmes such as the Yellow Flag Programme hold some promise.
                                                                                  This programme awards a yellow flag schools that successfully use an
                                                                                  eight-step plan focused on issues of interculturalism, equality, and
                                                                                  diversity. While I have seen some excellent work take place in schools
                                                                                  under this programme, unfortunately I have also seen the flag awarded
                                                                                  to schools where no real improvement in the support or inclusion of
                                                                                  Traveller children has been achieved. What we should see as a result of
Austerity measures that have been implemented since the economic                  these programs is better outcomes for Traveller students, more
recession have decimated the educational supports that were available             meaningful participation, and a higher level of transfer to third level and
to Travellers at primary and secondary level.                                     to the world of work.
                                                                                  Our country was uplifted by the recent results of the same sex marriage
  Recognition of the ethnic minority status                                       referendum. For the first time in the history of this country, many gay
  of Travellers is crucial in order to name                                       and lesbian people felt like truly valued citizens. Young gay and lesbian
  discriminatory behaviours as racist                                             people felt that they no longer had to hide their identity, but found
                                                                                  encouragement to be proud and confident about themselves. Through
The whole Visiting Teacher Service was disbanded. This meant that                 this referendum, we acknowledged collectively as a society the
the experience, knowledge, and relationships that these teachers had              importance of pride in one’s identity, the value in expressing it freely,
built up with the Traveller families in their areas were lost. Expenditure        and pride in the sense of self. This is no less important for Traveller
on Traveller education has fallen by 86% since 2008. Traveller                    identity. It is time to stage another “National act of inclusion’ by
accommodation spending is down by 85%. The scale of these cuts is                 supporting the Traveller Ethnicity Campaign.
incomparable with the overall cuts of 4.3% in government spending                 “Be the Change you wish to see in the world” Gandhi
between 2008 and 2013. No other group in Irish society was treated as
severely as Travellers as a result of the recession.
Lack of recognition of Travellers as an ethnic minority allows the
situation described above to persist. Recognition of the ethnic minority
status of Travellers is crucial in order to name discriminatory behaviours
as racist, and to effectively tackle this legally and institutionally. Pride in
Traveller identity is unfortunately still an alien concept to many teachers
in Irish education, and the importance of this for a child’s sense of self-
worth and motivation is overlooked. Countless times throughout my
career, teachers have said to me, by way of praise for a well-behaved
Traveller child, “You would never even know she was a Traveller.” This
attitude is fundamentally detrimental to children’s educational
development. The impact on their self-esteem is severe and real. As
educators, we know that the children who achieve most from our
system, are those with a positive self-image and sense of identity.

  Instead of shutting out Traveller children,
  principals must take a proactive
  approach to including and retaining them
The difference that recognition of the distinctiveness and inherent value
of their culture can make to Traveller children in education is
                                                                                        Una O’Neill
immeasurable. In the duration of my career, as well as the tragic and               Una O’Neill currently works as
negative experiences, I have witnessed exemplary practices by many                  Visiting Teacher for
supportive teachers. This is an indication of good leadership in a school.          Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Instead of shutting out Traveller children, principals must take a                  Children. Between 1994 and
proactive approach to including and retaining them. Only when                       2011 she worked in the
Principals and teachers have the same high expectations for Travellers              Visiting Teacher Service for
students as they have for every other student will equality be achievable.          Travellers. She co-founded the
There are numerous parallel examples that illustrate these truths in                Traveller Project in Tipperary,
other contexts. In one exam known as the Graduate Record Exam, in                   and was a management member
the United States, black students have historically scored as much as 15            of the Kerry Travellers Development
points lower than their white counterparts. A study carried out by                  Project. She was a regular guest lecturer on
professors Friedman, Marx, and Sei Jin Ko, found that the black students            the Special Ed. Diploma course in UCC and in Mary Immaculate College,
do worse in the exam due to anxiety around fulfilling the stereotype                Limerick, where, in conjunction with Traveller parents, she presented a
that black students do poorly in the test. The authors went on to find              seminar on “The Inclusion and Support of Traveller Students in
that the performance gap was effectively eliminated during the height               Education”.
of President Obama’s election campaign. They put the results down to

    00      NAPD Leader                                                                                                       NAPD Leader           01
NAPD PRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS Leader - PORTRAIT OF A PRESIDENT
Minister O’Sullivan formally launches
  Centre for School Leadership
                                                 Launching the CSL at the Clock Tower, DES, Marlborough Street, and enjoying a joke:
                                                 Clive Byrne, Áine Lawlor, Minister Jan O’Sullivan, Mary Nihill and Seán Cottrell.

T
      he Minister for Education and Skills,
                                                     The partnership will have many benefits for the profession in
      Jan O’Sullivan, formally launched the
      newly established Centre for School            terms of the quality of training programmes, co-ordination of
Leadership (CSL) on Tuesday, December 1.             provision, and increased accessibility.
At the launch with the education partners in     It is intended that the CSL will become a             programmes, co-ordination of provision, and
the Department’s offices, Minister O’Sullivan    centre of excellence for school leaders. The          increased accessibility.
congratulated Mary Nihill on her                 Centre’s responsibilities will cover the
appointment as Director of the Centre,                                                                 Minister O’Sullivan said: “We all know that
                                                 continuum of professional development for
together with Anna Mai Rooney and Máire Ní                                                             the quality of school leadership is a key
                                                 school leaders, from pre-appointment
Bhróithe who have also been appointed as                                                               determinant of school effectiveness and the
                                                 training and induction of newly appointed
Deputy Directors.                                                                                      achievement of good learning outcomes.” She
                                                 principals, to continuing professional
                                                                                                       again paid tribute to the IPPN and NAPD,
                                                 development throughout careers.
In    referencing      the      Government’s                                                           stating that “this model also recognises the
commitment to supporting leadership              The Centre is operating on a partnership basis        essential roles played by the two professional
development, with an investment of almost        between the Department of Education and               organisations in representing school leaders”.
€3m in the CSL over the next three years, the    Skills, the Irish Primary Principals’ Network         She also acknowledged the work of Dr. Áine
Minister spoke of the need to ensure that        (IPPN) and the National Association of                Lawlor, Chairperson of the CSL Steering
school leaders can access a rich programme of    Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD). The          Group and Clare Education Centre, where the
support which represents best value for public   partnership will have many benefits for the           CSL is based.
money.                                           profession in terms of the quality of training

   00      NAPD Leader                                                                                                  NAPD Leader         01
The importance of
    Inheritance Planning
Ivan Ahern, Director, Cornmarket Group Financial Services Ltd.

Ireland has one of the highest                                   What are the thresholds and Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT) rate?
inheritance taxes in the world. Changes                          Inheritances can be received free from Capital Acquisitions Tax up to a certain amount. The tax-
in Inheritance Tax rules commenced                               free amount varies depending on your relationship to the person giving the gift (group threshold).
in 2009 but it is only now that people                           There are three different groups. Each group has a threshold that applies to the total value of the
are starting to realise the impact this                          inheritances you’ve received, in that group. The current rate of Capital Acquisition Tax is 33%.
is having as property prices and asset
values begin to recover.                                         Capital Acquisitions Tax Group Thresholds after 14th October 2015 (Source: Revenue.ie).

The tax bill suffered by beneficiaries can be                     Group       Beneficiary                                                                          Tax free amount*
substantial, depending on 3 main factors:                         A           Son or daughter                                                                          €280,000
                                                                  B           A parent,** brother, sister, niece, nephew or grandchild
1 The relationship between the deceased
                                                                              of the person giving the gift.
  and the beneficiary (this determines the                                                                                                                               €30,150
                                                                              ** In certain circumstances a parent taking an inheritance
  maximum tax-free threshold that applies,                                       from a child can qualify for Group A threshold.
  i.e. the ‘Group Threshold’).
                                                                  C           All other relationships, other than those mentioned in A or B.                             €15,075
2 The net/taxable value of the inheritance.
                                                                 *CAT only applies to amounts over the relevant group threshold.
3 Any previous gifts or inheritance received.
                                                                 Example of how Inheritance Tax works.
What many people don’t realise is payment
of this tax bill needs to be paid soon after the                  Net/Taxable Value of Inheritance                                                  €700,000
inheritance. The onus is on the beneficiary to
                                                                  Number and type of Beneficiaries: 2
pay it and complete a full tax return. If you do                                                                                         Breakdown of inheritance due.
                                                                  Son and Daughter.
not plan ahead, your family could lose part of
their inheritance or be faced with a difficult                                                                                          Jamie                            Deirdre
decision between having to sell part of their                     Gross inheritance to each beneficiary                               €400,000                         €300,000
inheritance, or borrow the money to pay the                       Less tax-free amount threshold                                      €280,000                         €280,000
tax bill.                                                         Relationship: child i.e. Group A.
                                                                  Gross taxable inheritance per child                                 €120,000                          €20,000
If your family is likely to have to pay
inheritance tax when you die, it may be a good                    Less personal Capital Gains Tax exemption                             €1,270                           €1,270
idea to protect them against this beforehand.                     Net taxable inheritance per child                                    €118,730                          €18,730
                                                                  Tax payable at 33% per child                                         €39,181                            €6,181
                                                                  Overall inheritance tax due                                                           €45,361

What are your options to protect your family against inheritance tax?
The tax liability for beneficiaries can be avoided in a number of ways:
1 By effecting a ‘Section 72 Life Assurance Policy’. This policy funds the Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT) liability which arises on the benefits inherited
  from your estate and the proceeds of this are exempt from inheritance tax. This policy is relatively straight-forward to set up, however it is subject
  to medical underwriting and therefore the earlier this is done, the better.
2 By gifting a maximum of €3,000 per person annually. Your beneficiaries can each get gifts of up to €3,000 a year from you without paying tax.
  This exemption, which is known as the small gift exemption, is useful if you can afford to drip-feed your inheritance while you are still alive.
3 By gifting of the family home to a child. You could save your children hundreds of thousands of euro in tax by encouraging them to move into
  any second homes or investment properties you intend to leave to them.

Please note: Different guidelines apply for those passing on a business or farm to a child, for which one should seek professional advice.

                             Cornmarket is here to help and Inheritance Planning is about to get a whole lot easier!
                                                                                                                                                                                              10999 NAPD Inheritance 12/15

                                   For information on our Inheritance Planning Service, call (01) 408 6275.

                                                                 Cornmarket Group Financial Services Ltd. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Cornmarket is part of the Great-West
                                                                 Lifeco group of companies, one of the world’s leading life assurance organisations. Telephone calls may be recorded for
                                                                 quality control and training purposes.
Mary Nihill

     CONFERENCE 2015

MARY MAKES
HER POINT

                                                                                                          enthusiastically with this fundamental change
  President Mary Nihill opened the sixteenth NAPD Conference                                              while also dealing with a degree of initiative-
  with an address to over 550 delegates. Those who attended in                                            overload, salary cuts, extra work, limited
  Galway will have witnessed, at first hand, the eloquence,                                               career prospects [for some teachers] and, for
                                                                                                          us as school leaders, a lack of adequate middle
  assurance and leadership qualities that she demonstrated. Here
                                                                                                          leadership structures. I would have hoped that
  are some of the highlights.                                                                             our improving national finances would have
                                                                                                          allowed you, Minister, in this week’s Budget,
                                                                                                          to examine this gap particularly in relation to
JUNIOR CYCLE REFORM                                 we must find a way to accredit these skills and       additional middle leadership positions in the
The recent ballot by members of the ASTI to         a once-off terminal exam cannot do that.              areas of curriculum planning and assessment!
reject the latest framework for Junior Cycle        I am concerned that the current impasse is            Yes, it is much harder to find ways to show
reform is, as the Minister said at the time,        sapping the life blood out of what was and is         that a 16-year-old is more inquisitive, more
‘deeply disappointing’.We in NAPD have been         a great opportunity to re-envision how we             determined more imaginative and more
to the fore in articulating a view that many of     teach and how students learn in our second-           convivial than it is to assess whether he can
our traditional curricula have emphasised the       level schools. Teachers are neither confident         differentiate a calculus problem. This sort of
acquisition of knowledge at the cost of             nor convinced of the merits of the new Junior         learning and assessment does require highly-
developing the sort of skills needed for the        Cycle. As a consequence, even those teachers          skilled teachers and I agree with our Chief
21st century. In the light of that rejection, we,   who were enthusiastic supporters of a more            Inspector, Dr. Harold Hislop, when he
as school leaders, are greatly challenged to        constructivist, collaborative approach to             commented recently that Ireland has an
remain optimistic and solution-focused at this      learning skills, are beginning to obsess about        advantage when it comes to our teachers.
time.                                               the certainties of external assessment and            Teaching is well regarded as a profession and
                                                    state certification.                                  we, as school leaders, see the commitment
  “If we teach today’s                                                                                    and dedication of our teaching colleagues to
  students as we taught                                                                                   the welfare of students on a daily basis in our
                                                    HOW DO WE REGAIN                                      classrooms, on our corridors and in the many
  yesterday’s, we rob them                          THE MOMENTUM?                                         extra- and co-curricular activities that they
  of tomorrow”                                      I believe the core of the problem is the              engage in. We observe their dedication to
  [John Dewey]                                      significant gap that has developed between            upskilling themselves as professionals in areas
                                                    the very laudable aspirations of the                  such as the use of ICT.
I genuinely believe, if we are committed to         Department and the reality on the ground.
new ways of teaching so as to enable our                                                                  However If we do not find ways of measuring
students to engage more fully as active             Minister, you and your cabinet colleagues in          what we say we value, we will continue only
learners, then that learning has to be assessed     Finance need to come to grips with the                to pay homage to it in the vision statements
and evaluated by new methods. If we want to         resourcing required to deliver this                   on our walls and we will continue to allow
support and reward learning experiences that        momentous reform of the education system.             society to value only what we measure.
promote, not only critical thinking but also        Changing culture is incredibly slow and,
collaboration, creativity inventiveness and         crucially, this quantum leap requires
innovation – skills that will be essential to       substantial financial investment if it is to result   THE REALITY
equip the young people in our care to live          in significant change. Our teachers and school        As one who was first appointed to
productive lives in a globalised world – then       leaders are being asked to engage                     Principalship in 1993, I can honestly say,

    00     NAPD Leader                                                                                                     NAPD Leader          01
the confidence, skills and time to regularly          my October returns, which were due last
                                                   engage about learning with teachers, both at          week.
                                                   an individual level and as subject departments.
                                                                                                         Back in the office and a teacher sends down
                                                   Leadership at governance level needs to set           a student to tell me that three of the
                                                   clear expectations as to how principals and           computers in the computer room are not
                                                   deputy principals are to spend their time.This        working and students cannot log on.
                                                   expectation needs to be mirrored by the
                                                                                                         1.15p.m. During lunch break, the deputy
                                                   selection and interview process. To use the
                                                                                                         principal and I help out with lunchtime
                                                   analogy that we have heard repeated recently
                                                                                                         supervision.
                                                   during the discussions around assessment -
                                                   what is tested is what is taught. I would             2.00p.m. The afternoon has only just
                                                   propose that what is valued by leadership at          commenced when the caretaker informs me
                                                   governance level has a significant influence on       of a fight which had happened at lunchtime;
                                                   what school leaders devote their time to.             the relevant year head is timetabled for class
Minister, that the role of school leader has
evolved into one that is hugely challenging                                                              all afternoon and this incident needs to be
                                                   Wouldn’t it be a tragedy, Minister, if, at a future
and one that is not understood by many                                                                   investigated before those involved continue it
                                                   date, when a Ph.D. student is researching the
people, even those inside the education                                                                  on after school. The year head has the
                                                   key components that led to the success, or
environment.                                                                                             possible suspects sitting outside my office and
                                                   failure, of the Junior Cycle initiative, that the
                                                                                                         another two outside the deputy’s office.
                                                   findings are that a lack of time and training for
We all acknowledge that our primary role is
                                                   school leaders was a significant contributor          While I’m carrying out this investigation,
that of priomhoide, lead teacher, but few of us,
                                                   to its failure.                                       another year head comes to my office with
if we’re honest, can say that we spend the
major portion - or even a respectable                                                                    concerns for a student who has had mental
minority - of our time in this role. We are        A DAY IN THE LIFE                                     health issues in the past and is now displaying
anxious to develop other leaders as we                                                                   symptoms of serious anxiety. My guidance
                                                   I started by keeping a daily diary for a three
recognise that principals and deputy                                                                     counsellor has gone to her weekly
                                                   week period during late October, generally
principals alone cannot lead organisations as                                                            supervision meeting.
                                                   perceived to be a reasonably quiet time of
complex as our schools. However, we, as            year This is a typical day:                           3.40p.m.The bell rings for end of school and
school leaders, are solution-focused and with                                                            I have a scheduled Finance Sub- committee
                                                   7.30a.m. Arrive at school to be met by
this in mind, on a personal level two years ago                                                          meeting of my Board to address the financial
                                                   parent of Johnny (whom she is dropping off
Being a scientist by training, I decided to                                                              situation the school faces as a result of the
                                                   on her way to work) and who has heard that
research how I could improve my                                                                          mismatch between projected income from
                                                   this is a good time to catch me. She wants to
contribution to the core function of leading                                                             voluntary subscriptions and the reality of
                                                   discuss how she might get Johnny moved out
learning and developing leaders in my own                                                                income achieved.
                                                   of Mrs Smyth’s English class. The next half -
school.
                                                   hour is involved in dealing with the fall-out of      After this meeting I prepare for my Board
Our days are busy but what is most                 two teachers who’ve rung in to say that they          meeting, including correspondence, principal’s
frustrating for us is that we are busy doing       won’t be in today                                     report etc.
the wrong things.                                  8.00a.m. A local retailer calls me to tell me
                                                                                                         8.30p.m. As I leave the school with the list
The fact that our schools open every day and       that one of “my students “ has been
                                                                                                         of jobs from the Board meeting, on top of the
that students, staff and parents are cared for,    misbehaving in his shop and to ask what I am
                                                                                                         pile of post that I did not open that day, I
is coming at an enormous cost to the school        going to do about it. As I put down the phone
                                                                                                         write in my diary “ What did I do today that
leaders in this room. It is taking its toll on     the caretaker, who has just arrived, informs
                                                                                                         could be described as Leading the learning in
many of our colleagues who are opting for          me that the senior girl’s toilets are out of
                                                                                                         my school?”
early retirement so much so that up to 70%         action and that we will need to reallocate
of current school leaders have been in the job     toilet facilities for them.
for less than 5 years.                             9.00a.m.The secretary rings to say that the           WELCOME TO
                                                   HSE vaccination team says that they need              ICT INVESTMENT
The combination of                                 three rooms rather than two as previously             We have watched with interest the launch of
l the lack of any real middle leadership           arranged.                                             the new Digital Strategy for schools. School
  system                                           Also Mrs Flanagan, who has made an                    leaders did not need the recent OECD
                                                   appointment to see me, wishes to discuss              report, Students, Computers and Learning, to
l inadequate secretarial, caretaking and
                                                   how the school can support her daughter               tell us that we still need gifted teachers to
  technical support in our schools,
                                                   who is not dealing very well with the                 excite the interest of young people in learning
l the absence of an effective guidance             separation of her parents.                            and to awaken their imaginations. We know
  service                                                                                                that technology can amplify great teaching but
                                                   10.30a.m. A number of local residents meet
                                                                                                         great technology cannot replace poor
has resulted in a situation where the principal    with me to discuss if I could have a presence
                                                                                                         teaching.
and deputy, who want to lead the learning of       at the front gate in the mornings – for about
both students and staff, and who want to           30 minutes – to deter the small number of             This announcement of some monies for
develop other leaders, find their days             parents who park illegally and hold up traffic.       schools, while welcome, will not address many
crowded with tasks that, in any other              They feel that the presence of the Principal is       of the major issues. Currently, in many of our
organisation, would be dealt with ‘elsewhere’      needed.                                               schools, broadband speed is unsatisfactory;
                                                   I visit the staffroom at morning break and a          maintenance is ad-hoc, even if you have a
Leadership development courses have                                                                      maintenance contract; there is a mix of old
championed the concept of instructional            teacher approachs me with a report that the
                                                   internet is not working in his room and that          and new equipment; many teachers have
leadership but I believe that we need to                                                                 upskilled themselves in the use of ICT but the
provide school leaders with training and           his planned lesson for the afternoon with the
                                                   LCVP class needs to happen.                           level of knowledge and confidence is not
resources to enable them to become what                                                                  uniform within any staffroom.
their title in Irish describes them                The secretary informs me that the DES have
as –Priomhoide. School leaders need to have        rung, wondering why I have not yet submitted          If we are serious about using ICT as a learning

   00      NAPD Leader                                                                                                    NAPD Leader          01
CSL                                                complimented on this well-researched
                                                     The year saw the Department of Education           document. This framework provides
                                                     and Skills collaborate with NAPD and IPPN          tremendous guidance to those of us involved
                                                                                                        in leadership development and learning for
                                                     in setting up the Centre for School
                                                                                                        school leaders.
                                                     Leadership [CSL]. As its first National
                                                     Director, working with my two Deputy                All of these initiatives are welcome but
                                                     Directors who are here this morning, Máire         perhaps, at this point in our country’s history,
                                                     Ní Bhróithe at Post Primary and Anna Mai           as we celebrate the centenary of the 1916
                                                     Rooney at Primary, I am looking forward to it      Uprising, which had its roots in a vision for an
                                                     being a real force in developing a more            egalitarian society, and 22 years since we last
                                                     strategic approach to meeting the needs of         debated education at a national level, I am
                                                     both newly-appointed and serving school            proposing that we need another National
                                                     leaders. The establishment of the Centre           Consultative Forum on the true meaning of
                                                     provides us with a unique opportunity for the      education at all levels for the Ireland of 2016.
tool – and I believe that it is only a tool - then   advancement of a coherent continuum of             The Green Paper of 1992 was entitled
this 5-year framework must provide adequate          professional development for school leaders.       Education for a Changing World, but I firmly
resourcing to allow for planning, purchasing,                                                           believe that now we need a reappraisal of, and
technological support, maintenance, service                                                             a national debate on, an overall strategic
and capacity-building for teachers and school        CHASING EVERY                                      direction for our education system, so as to
leaders. Can you imagine a business with 124         EXTRA MARK….                                       develop one which will provide every student
laptops desktops and tablets, 60 data                The changes to the CAO points system               with fulfilling educational experiences at every
projectors, two computer rooms and two               which is being rolled out for our current 5th      stage in a lifetime of learning
large in-house server without a dedicated            year students is a welcome development.The
ICT technician?                                      new scale, with its broader grading bands, will
                                                                                                        PROFESSIONALISM
                                                     hopefully discourage the practice, amongst
Furthermore, if the use of ICT is to truly           students and some teachers, of feverishly          MATCHED BY ENTHUSIASM
become the learning tool it has the potential        chasing every extra mark, often through a          Over my year as President of NAPD I have
to be, then school leaders need CPD so that          reliance on rote learning. Now we have begun       had the privilege to witness at first hand both
we can lead ICT policy and practice in our           to travel down this more enlightened pathway       the professionalism and dedication of our
schools – a practice that truly underpins and        I hope that a way can be found to include a        teachers and the life-giving enthusiasm of our
supports student learning and is not just a          fuller picture of a student’s portfolio of         young people.
replacement of one type of reading material          achievement, with areas such as the                A few weeks ago I attended an instructional
with another.                                        contribution made to the life of their             leadership conference and saw, at first hand,
                                                     communities, and involvement in extra -            teachers from all over Ireland work through
NAPD welcomes the model of funding and               curricular activities, showing in the final
training that has been provided for the T4                                                              Friday evening and Saturday, to explore new
                                                     certification.                                     ways of engaging with students so as to
subjects. We have seen the wholehearted
engagement by our T4 teachers with this              This initiative, combined with the on-going        ensure deeper learning.
technology. The fact also that the Leaving           debate led by Professor Philip Nolan of the        I was delighted to be present at the Young
Cert DCG curriculum and the portfolio is             National University Maynooth, around the           Scientist and Technology Exhibition in the
ICT-based has further embedded the use of            proliferation of “prestige” courses in college     RDS this January. It was fantastic to see real
this powerful learning tool for these teachers.      prospectuses, is another welcome impetus to        examples of the type of self-directed learning
                                                     initiating dialogue around the true meaning of     that is at the core of the Junior Cycle reform.
I believe that this is the model that needs to       education at all levels.The creation of so many    It was an experience to walk around the
be followed in other subject areas – a               course codes creates elitism. Professor Nolan      exhibition hall and to chat to so many
dedicated programme aimed at upskilling              has acknowledged that the third-level              enthusiastic students and teachers. What a
teachers in the use of ICT as a learning tool        institutions themselves are trapped in that        difference an enthusiastic teacher makes to
in their subject area, combined with a               internal competition because of a public           the lives of young people in their care.
meaningful integration of ICT into some              perception that a 500-point course is better
aspect of the assessment of that subject             than a 400-point course.                           The award of Educators of Excellence goes
would, in my opinion, be a powerful tool in                                                             some way towards recognising these gifted
changing the way teachers teach and students                                                            teachers. However I would question the
                                                     WE NOW NEED                                        capacity of our current system to recognise
learn.                                               A NATIONAL                                         or reward teacher leadership in any
                                                     CONSULTATIVE FORUM                                 meaningful way.We all have “teacher leaders”
                                                     The publication of Cosán, the draft framework      in our schools whose knowledge of and
WELCOME TO THE NEWLY-
                                                     for teachers’ learning, is another very            enthusiasm for their subject is infectious yet
APPOINTED COLLEAGUES                                 welcome development. The concept of life-          most of the professional opportunities for
At this point I would like to welcome                long learning encapsulated in the very word        career advancement in our current system
especially our newly-appointed colleagues            Cosán [the Irish word for pathway] affirms the     promote them out of the classroom. If we are
who are here with us today                           value of teachers’ learning. It also recognises    serious about the importance of leading
                                                     the fact that professional learning is “part and   learning, then surely we need to find some
 We in NAPD recognise the importance of
                                                     parcel of a teacher’s working life” and that       way of creating promotional prospects for
the relationship between principal and deputy
                                                     teachers have demonstrated enormous                teachers which will recognise this key
principal, as the senior leadership team in the
                                                     goodwill and flexibility, particularly in recent   leadership classroom role.
school, and we are committed to supporting           years, when many of the traditional supports
you in your role as leaders of the learning in       and incentives were no longer available to         I leave you with these final words of wisdom
your schools.We have no doubt that you will          them. This framework will give teachers and
find your new role challenging but also very         school leader’s autonomy to plan their own           “You can do what I cannot do.
rewarding. I would encourage you to attend           professional learning and to take account of          I can do what you cannot do.
your local regional meeting and to regularly         the changing needs of the students they teach       Together we can do great things.”
check the NAPD website which now includes            and the schools they lead. Everyone involved
a very interactive section for each region           in developing this framework is to be
                                                                                                                  [Mother Teresa]

    00      NAPD Leader                                                                                                  NAPD Leader           01
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