Principals want power over staff deployment

SCHOOLS should be allowed to allocate their staffing levels based on their needs rather than on a strict formula from the Department of Education, principals said yesterday.

The proposal was made as Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe was urged to place more trust in primary principals’ ability to run their schools, independently of strict funding mechanisms.

The Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN), whose annual conference delegates gave the minister a courteous reception despite recent education cutbacks, is proposing a number of school reform measures which they say would add little or nothing to Government spending.