Sir, – In the primary and special school sector, the INTO is proud to represent 6,500 principal teachers and deputy principals in the Republic of Ireland.
We also represent many school leaders in primary and post-primary schools in Northern Ireland.
Throughout our 156-year history, school leaders, who we consider to be “primus inter pares/first among equals” in their schools, have played key roles in our organisation. The vast majority of school leaders in the primary sector teach for most of the year with teaching principals in the last number of years receiving one leadership and management day per week to complete administrative duties.
Contrary to the views expressed by a post-primary principal John McHugh (Letters, October 24th), I wish to state categorically that the INTO finds no conflict whatsoever between the representations we make for the one-seventh of our membership who are school leaders and the work we do for the other members, including assistant principals and those who are not promoted to leadership positions.
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We have a special national committee for principals and deputy principals who advise the central executive committee on issues pertaining to school leadership and organise a biennial conference on school leadership.
We also work closely with the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN) and school managerial authorities to further our common aims, as was clearly demonstrated by our recent teacher supply survey.
In the past five years, the INTO has campaigned annually for extra supports for school leadership with considerable success, including delivery of the aforementioned weekly release day for teaching principals; establishment of supply panels nationwide; restoration of 2,350 posts of assistant principal; settlement of a long-standing claim for substantial increases to the allowances of primary school leaders; reduction in the enrolment figures for the appointment of administrative principals and administrative deputy principals; delivery of administrative principalships for small schools with two or more special classes; and the appointment of administrative deputy principals in special schools.
We have recently submitted for costing by the Department of Education a number of new claims which could benefit school leaders within the local bargaining process in the Public Service Agreement.
We are acutely aware that our union must continue to work tirelessly on behalf of all of our members in the period ahead as we strive to convince the next Irish government of the importance of creating the best education system in Europe by 2030.
Proposed solutions to ongoing challenges for school leaders will feature prominently in our soon-to-be-published General Election manifesto.
In our long history we have found that the unified approach of all of our members, including our outstanding school leaders, has best served our profession. United we stand, divided we fall. – Yours, etc,
JOHN BOYLE,
General secretary,
Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO).