National centre for school leadership to train 100 mentors

Dozens of school principals will be able to take part in a new mentoring and coaching service later this year as part of plans for a national centre for school leadership.

Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan, at the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN) annual conference on Friday morning, said the new national facility, based at the Clare Education Centre, will train teachers in leadership roles.

About €3 million is being committed by her department to the project over the next three years. In the first phase, starting later this year, 100 mentors will be trained to offer support to at least 75 newly appointed principals each year.

A further programme for on-the-job coaching is being established, as well as a postgraduate qualification in school leadership, drawing on best international practice.

The centre will request tenders from individual, or a consortium of, third-level institutions to make available such a programme, to have it in place for September 2016.

The centre is being established in partnership with the IPPN and the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD), the representative body at second level.

The Minister said it would be headed by a director with experience as a school principal. He or she would be supported by two other experienced school leaders, one each from the primary and post-primary sectors.

“At the end of 2017, we will review the progress that has been made, and seek to explore how school leaders can be further supported,” Ms O’Sullivan said.

The Minister has also hit back at critics of her department’s plan to establish a primary online database (POD).

“The current system has not been fulfilling our need for relevant and timely information to ensure the educational welfare of all of our children,” she said, pointing out that similar databases already existed in both pre-primary settings and higher education.

“A small number of people have expressed concern about the use of the PPSN on POD. The PPSN is already used to provide other education services such as the Early Childhood Care and Education scheme, as well as student grants.

“Some concerns have also been raised in relation to the reason the Department is keeping the data up until a pupil turns 30.”

She said her department “will review, on an ongoing basis, our retention policy taking account of these concerns.

“I am also aware that the Data Protection Commissioner has made clear that there is still active engagement between her office and my department on this issue. I welcome that confirmation.”

Adding fresh criticism, however, Fianna Fáil spokesman on education Charlie McConalogue said the Minister’s implementation of POD had been “heavy-handed”.

He said she had “refused to take on board the very serious concerns that both parents and teachers have surrounding her department’s plan to collect and retain sensitive pupil details such as psychological assessment results, medical needs and PPS numbers.

“I have been unable to get a guarantee from the Minister as to who will have access to this data and as to whether it will be secure during the transfer process between schools and her department.”