Pupils losing out on education due to teacher training, claims schools chief

STUDENTS are losing their entitlement to a full education as teacher training is being provided during school time, a managers’ leader claimed yesterday.

Principals and parents regularly complain that teachers are absent on a regular basis due to in-service training for new subject syllabi and professional development.

Sr Marie Céline Clegg, president of the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools (ACCS), urged the Department of Education and teacher unions to replace the system of releasing teachers for in- service during school days.

“This unfinished business must be brought to an immediate conclusion in the interest of students whose rights are being denied and who, I believe, are entitled to claim these rights,” she said at the annual convention of the ACCS, which represents boards of management at the 90 schools in the sector.

“We fully support the professional development of teachers but the present system of delivery is outmoded and blatantly inconsistent with DES policy regarding the integrity of the school year,” she said.

The issue may arise in respect of modernisation requirements placed on teacher unions in return for pay increases under future social partnership agreements. Under Sustaining Progress, unions agreed to hold some parent-teacher meetings after school to reduce the impact on teaching time.

Sr Clegg appealed to Education Minister Mary Hanafin to make the issue a priority.

Ms Hanafin also told delegates that the school support programme, which will benefit 200 disadvantaged second-level schools, is aimed at communities which need it most.

Earlier this week, ACCS general secretary Sean McCann said some schools which were not asked to take part felt they were losing out due to their success under other disadvantage schemes.

Ms Hanafin said her department is not in the business of taking away supports from schools just because they are doing a good job.

“There are schools who in the past received additional supports and who do not need it now to the same degree. Likewise, there are schools who have never received that level of support and who now need it,” she said.