O’Keeffe hints at ease on promotion ban

SCHOOLS may be given some relief from a ban on promotions which has created major management difficulties for schools with higher proportions of teacher retirements, Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe has indicated.

The bodies representing boards of management at the country’s 730 second- level schools last week urged the minister to consider a partial easing of the moratorium, which they say has affected some schools far worse than others.

In some cases, for example, all year-head posts – which give students a teacher who focuses on their academic and personal development – have been left vacant.

The operation of schools may become more difficult from next Monday, when second-level teacher unions will no longer allow members with assistant principal or special duties teacher status to assume responsibilities of other post-holders who have left the school, which had been allowed since the moratorium took effect almost a year ago.

Principals have also warned that the number of vacant middle-management positions will almost double when an anticipated 1,200-plus holders of such jobs retire in the summer.

While the Department of Education is understood to be sympathetic to the plight of those schools worst affected, its hands are believed to be tied by the Department of Finance, which is keeping a tight rein on spending by all departments. However, Mr O’Keeffe gave schools and principals some cause for hope with his comments yesterday.

“We’re always engaging with [the Department of] Finance in relation to balance and we know that schools require a particular amount of people at management level,” he told the Irish Examiner.

“There may be imbalances developing in some schools and obviously that’s something we are aware of and something we intend to address,” Mr O’Keeffe said.

Although he was unwilling to detail how it might be addressed, it is understood that some formula could be agreed under which a maximum proportion of management positions to be left vacant would be set, eliminating the risk of schools with high retirement numbers being left disproportionately affected.

A survey by the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals has shown the moratorium has led to large numbers of schools having to lower priority for middle managers’ duties in relation to attendance, special education and extra-curricular activities, among a range of responsibilities.