THE tally, from the time school began to 11 a.m., climbed rapidly to 13. Each tick recorded in the childish hand meant that the phone had rung or a knock had sounded on the classroom door. Michael Lynch had asked one of his pupils to record a typical morning's interruptions. Lynch was both teacher and principal in Ballybrown National School, Co Limerick, last year. This year he has sufficient numbers enrolled in the school to work as a "walking or administrative principal with no teaching responsibilities.

A typical day last year started at 8.45 a.m. "The minute I arrived children would come to me with their problems. One or two parents might have something to say. There would be some messages on the answering machine and the phone would ring.

"The one phone call I didn't want to get was from a teacher who was sick. This meant 20 minutes to half an hour on the phone trying to find a substitute or else dividing up the class. Meanwhile, my own class would be neglected and becoming talkative.

"Presuming all of the teachers were in and the heating was working, I could start the day's teaching. Last year we had 253 pupils and I had about 25 interruptions every day. If parents, the priest, the FAS worker, sales people, charity reps call to the school, they want to speak to the principal."

Some days all would go well and his class of 37 pupils would settle. Other days it would be difficult to establish a routine. From Christmas on there was no FAS worker and Lynch became teacher, principal and handyman for the school.

This year he has left the classroom to become a full-time administrator as the Department of Education's magic figure of 251 pupils and eight classes was exceeded. He is enthusiastic about what he can get done now - a school library is up and running; she school plan is much improved as he had time to think about it and consult with staff; the code of discipline has been updated; the front of the school is being upgraded to provide parking facilities.

Lynch says that the other teachers are more relaxed as they know he will have time to deal with problems. However, he says pupil numbers are now down to 249 and he reckons he will return to the classroom to "double-job" as both teacher and principal in the next few years if the rules don't change.

HE hadn't time to talk. She is out in the yard discussing top soil and brick-laying and then must rush back to her class.

Sharon Dilger is teaching principal at a two-teacher school in Co Clare. Later in the evening she has had time to collect her thoughts.

She loves the job, but she wouldn't recommend it to anyone. "There are very, very few young women going for jobs as principals. I think that's awful because the majority of teachers are female and they have a lot to offer. It's not easy to combine with a young family," she says.

The question is whether you are a teacher or a principal, she says. There's is always somebody calling. When directives come from the Department, it's the principal who must implement them. They are all very laudable, she says, but there is no time to dicsuss them.

Extra-curricular activities, such as games and music, must also be organised - it's her duty to see that the students don't suffer because they are in a small school, she adds.

"I'm never home before 4 p.m. At least once a week there's a meeting in the evening or some extracurricular activity. I'm here now - at 9 p.m. - correcting a pile of copies and doing up a policy statement."

The day is hectic and time flies, she says, but there is so much crammed into each day that she feel she is not doing justice to the 30 pupils in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th class.

THAT'S at issue with a teaching principal is not the teacher but the children says Con Lynch who teaches in Rylane National School, in Co Cork. "I certainly believe that our job is to teach during the day. If you are constantly being diverted that is time robbed from the children. I feel that our service to the children is being disrupted by an increasing number of administrative duties."

Each day there is always a certain amount of work to be done. He uses a dictaphone to list his jobs each evening but says that he rarely reaches the end of the list the next day. "Today, for example, I have to write a letter to the parents about our secretary leaving - she was employed on a temporary basis under a FAS scheme; I have to tell, parents about a teacher going on maternity leave soon and to inform them about an upcoming meeting. I need to visit the classroom to deal with a hygiene matter and I need to make three phone calls."

There is a huge amount of mail each day which must be read and some of it must be answered. The departure of the secretary means he must do all of this himself. He's also back on duty freeing paper stuck in the photocopier. "Some days it can be immensely frustrating dealing With these side issues," he says.

Then there are the larger issues such as the school plan, the code of discipline, the safety policy, the bullying policy.

Lynch teaches fifth and sixth class and says that a recent survey of teaching principals in the Cork area showed that 78 per cent were teaching combined classes (see chart for more detail on the survey's findings). "You can be working with sixth class and know you have to get to 4th and 5th but somebody can't understand the complexity of a sum. Then someone comes to the door and you have to answer the phone. I think the word stress is overused but it is frustrating."

A HEATING problem means that Bega Ryan is unavailable for immediate conversation. She must find a contractor fast. Eleven classes, including three special classes, must not be allowed to freeze. Ryan, a teaching principal in Courteray National School in Newcastle West, Co Limerick, is, however, eager to talk ... later.

Her school has 215 pupils, no full-time caretaker or secretary. On a typical day, she checks the school to see if the heating is running and the yard is free of broken glass and fallen branches. She accepts phonecalls from parents between 8.30 a.m. and 9 a.m. or after 3 p.m. Ryan also meets staff during this time to make arrangements about matches, competitions, parent meetings. At 9 a.m. teaching starts.

"On an excellent day, you have only four or five interruptions and, on those days, you go home feeling that you have done a decent day's work. On other days, you leave with an awful guilt feeling - because the children have been left for various sessions of the day through no fault of your own.

A principal is supposed to be a leader, she says. "You must be pro-active if your school is to be successful. You must have time for planning, to organise in-service."

She says that although the special class teachers are not counted in the Department's calculations for walking principals, there is a lot of work involved here - liaising with parents, integrating pupils for certain subjects.

So, what is the solution? Ryan says that "in a school with my level of demands, I really need to be full-time in administration. I don't mind hard work but you like to do whatever You are doing thoroughly. It's not possible to do both jobs thoroughly."