Call for statutory guides on reporting of abuse in schools

SCHOOLS will continue to ensure child abuse is stamped out but must be given statutory guidelines on reporting and other child protection issues, a principals’ leader has claimed.

Pat Goff, president of the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN), said the same standards should apply to everyone in education but a number of abusers have tainted the excellent work of so many who have given sterling service in schools.

“What is urgently needed now is greater openness and transparency in relation to child protection, the guidelines now in force must be immediately put on a statutory footing,” he told more than 900 principals at the IPPN annual conference.

“Every patron, chairperson, chaplain, principal and teacher, must always have the welfare and rights of the children in their schools as their first priority,” he said.

He warned, however, that long-sought procedures for dealing with teachers whose work is not up to standard have been restricted. The system allowing for suspension and dismissal of teachers, where issues of professional competence or personal conduct arise, came into effect last September.

“The circular letter on the procedures can not be effectively implemented as the agreed panel of retired and serving principals who are to provide advice and guidance to boards of management has not been set up,” Mr Goff said.

He also spelled out the impact of various cuts in the past year on schools and pupils, particularly those with special needs, and suggested a graded funding model to widen support for disadvantaged pupils beyond schools with the highest numbers from poorer backgrounds.

But Mr Goff warned schools face further pressure to ask parents and communities to assist with funding because of water metering introduced on January 1. He said the water costs for a 250-pupil school could double to €2,000 a year, even though a recent IPPN survey shows that schools of less than half that size are operating deficits of more than €23,000 a year.

“An additional problem is that local authority water charges vary from county to county, and costs are almost 40% more for schools in Wicklow than in neighbouring Kildare,” he said.

“The dependence on parents to pay for basic operating costs added to the doubling of the cost of water overnight is an indication that the Celtic Tiger never went to school,” he said.

The IPPN president also highlighted how the workload of principals has been increased by a ban since last April on middle-management vacancies being filled. He said principals have paid the highest price for the recklessness of a few as their incomes have fallen 19% when the pension levy, pay cuts and the non-payment of a benchmarking are combined.

“Unlike some senior civil servants, we didn’t have a bonus scheme to scrap. They tell us they are not paid for overtime but I have some news for the Finance Minister, principals are not paid for overtime either,” Mr Goff said.