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Speech by Seán Ó Foghlú, Secretary General, Department of Education and Skills at the 2016 JMB Annual Conference

Introduction
Good afternoon. Unfortunately, it is not possible for the Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan, to attend today. She has asked me to pass on her apologies and to speak on her behalf this afternoon. It is a pleasure to do so today.

I would like to start by congratulating John Curtis on his appointment as General Secretary. I am sure that I am joining everyone here in wishing you well in your new role, John. We will all have an opportunity to acknowledge the role played by Ferdia Kelly in this role in a short while.

I would also like to allow an opportunity for dialogue with you this afternoon. For the discussion, I will be joined by my colleagues from the Department – Martin Hanevy and Peter Baldwin.

An agenda for improving education in Ireland
In my speech today, I would like to update you on the programme of change to all levels of the education system that we are implementing.

The four themes for the reforms are as follows:
§ learning for life;
§ improving quality and accountability;
§ supporting inclusion and diversity; and
§ building the right systems and infrastructure.

Before this, I would like to refer to some important issues in relation to the teaching profession.

Importance of Teachers
The quality of our teaching profession is the single most critical factor in sustaining and enhancing the quality of educational outcomes in our system. Investment in teacher education, professional development and support pays dividends. Research, nationally and internationally, demonstrates the value for education of an engaged and highly developed teaching cohort. We are fortunate here that we continue to attract high quality entrants into the profession. We recognise the value of paying attention to the quality of their development. We also recognise the professional value for teachers of professional collaboration and networking.

We believe in and support this as a core strategic objective. A range of policy initiatives are all aimed at sustaining and enhancing the status and quality of our teaching profession for this purpose. We have also seen the impact of and cost of losing sight of the importance of this in other countries.

Junior Cycle
The new Junior Cycle offers rich opportunity for improving the teaching and learning experience of students and for building on the quality and professionalism of our teachers.

The new Junior Cycle framework that is now being implemented has evolved considerably from the original proposals. In May 2015, following protracted discussions and negotiations, we finally reached an agreement on the shape of the reforms with the leadership of the two teacher unions. This was followed in July 2015 by an agreement on resources for implementation, again signed off on by the leadership of the two unions. The agreements reached meant that the stated grounds for original teacher union opposition have been addressed. But the essential benefits for students have been retained.
As you know, in putting the revised framework to a ballot of their members, the ASTI decided not to make a recommendation for acceptance. Nor did they engage with their membership to explain the changes or the rationale underpinning them. This was disappointing. The low turnout of ASTI members in the subsequent ballot may have reflected that poor level of engagement. The deficit of information provided has also left an uncertainty over the understanding among ordinary ASTI members of important details of the proposals that were being balloted on. In contrast the executive of the TUI endorsed the proposal. During the ballot the TUI also sought and received from the Department extensive clarification on issues raised by members. This resulted in an informed judgement by TUI members on a much needed reform.
The support of the management bodies, including JMB, for the new Junior Cycle has been very welcome. I know that the continuing ASTI non-cooperation directive is a cause of frustration and concern. It is preventing your schools from drawing down the management resources for implementation that we have agreed. It is unfairly preventing ASTI teachers from accessing the professional training they need in delivering the new programme to current first and second year English students. And most importantly, it is creating an unfair stress for these students, who now face uncertainty over their Classroom Based Assessments and the Assessment Task that will form part of their overall Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement.

The time allowed within the Junior Cycle Framework and agreements for teachers to engage in CPD and professional collaborative activities is generous and represents a considerable investment in additional teaching resources in the school system. The ASTI’s position of continuing resistance to progress on Junior Cycle is no longer justifiable.

ASTI needs to re-engage with their membership. They need to allow them to get on with participating fully in training for and delivering the new programme that is now being implemented in all schools.

The Department is delivering fully on its commitments to providing the professional time, management resources and extensive CPD necessary to support implementation. We are also willing to support the ASTI in re-visiting their position with their membership. But time is running out.

The JMB can assist in your schools by making information on the new programme available to teachers, students and parents at school level and through encouraging teacher engagement in implementation. There are many ways to do this and we would welcome your ideas.

Lansdowne Road Agreement
We are aware that the ASTI will also shortly be balloting its members on their continuing delivery of Croke Park hours in the next school year. The issues at stake in this ballot are very serious ones for ASTI members and for our schools.

A decision to cease doing these hours will amount to an effective repudiation of the Lansdowne Road Agreement by the ASTI.

The TUI face a similar stark choice between continuing cooperation with the agreement and repudiation of it. In the case of TUI they have been engaged in discussions with the Department on issues of concern to them in order to allow an informed decision to be taken by their members.

An invitation to ASTI to join in these discussions has not yet been accepted. That is regrettable. They have opted to move directly to ballot without seeking to explore the full potential of the choices that they face. The invitation to talk remains open.

The Croke Park hours are a continuing requirement on all teachers under the Public Services Stability Agreement, which is extended under Lansdowne Road. The hours enable essential school planning and outreach activities to be organised without the need for school closures. Both TUI and the INTO have raised the issue of achieving more productive use of these hours and the Department is open to considering this question with the relevant partners. We would be very glad to have ASTI at the table for those discussions.

The ASTI’s ballot in the next few weeks is not simply about withdrawing from these hours. It is essentially about repudiating the Public Services Stability Agreement. Repudiation has a range of possible implications. They include the loss of Supervision and Substitution payments which are due to ASTI members in September, the extension of increment freezes and the loss of improved CID terms. That is not to mention the inevitable disruptions and school closures that will be faced in the Autumn if this is the chosen path.

Continuing cooperation with the collective agreement offers financial and other benefits for teachers without compromising the legitimate right of their representatives to advance their case when successor agreements are negotiated.

I am setting out this choice because the Department believes that it is necessary that the consideration of these issues is an informed one. It has been reported that the Central Executive Committee of the ASTI has taken a decision not to put full information on all of the possible implications of repudiation before its members when they conduct their forthcoming ballot. If this is the case, it would be extraordinary, given the direct implications of the choice that ASTI members face.

The Department, for its part, feels a responsibility to these teachers to ensure that they are fully aware of the facts when exercising their democratic mandate. I am sure that JMB shares that sense of responsibility. The Department will be making this information available on its website and I am sure that JMB will equally wish to assist in ensuring that this is widely disseminated in schools.

Learning for Life
Returning to the reform themes, on the first of these, I would like to update you on the Ireland 2016 commemorative programme, the literacy and numeracy strategy, and the digital strategy.

Ireland 2016
The Department has been, as you know, a major partner in the Ireland 2016 commemorative programme, and, within that partnership, your schools, and all schools, have played absolutely vital roles.

We are delighted to have facilitated a one-day event for post-primary schools on March 7th last in Croke Park. This was done in collaboration with both Ireland 2016 and the Thomas Francis Meagher Foundation, and it was a great day. Proclamation Day, thanks to the efforts of teachers, students and school communities, really took the country by storm on March 15th last.

An aspect of the Department’s 2016 programme which may not have received as much publicity as these activities has been the tremendous work done by teachers and other educators in providing a host of resources for schools on Scoilnet. Figures to hand for the February-March period of 2016 show us, for instance, that the number of ‘hits’ on Scoilnet was close to 70,000, more than double the number of the previous year. Furthermore, the ten most popular search items were all related to the 2016 programme.

Politics and Society
Another aspect of the Department’s 2016 programme is the introduction from this autumn of a new Leaving Certificate subject, Politics and Society, in 41 Post-Primary Schools. This subject is intended to form part of the 2016 legacy, helping our students to deepen their understanding of political and social issues, and helping the nation to develop a new generation of leadership across society.

The Department is also committed to introducing Politics and Society as an option for all post-primary schools from autumn 2018, appropriately coinciding with the centenary of Irish women getting the vote for the first time.

Literacy and Numeracy
The 2011 National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy drives the implementation of a programme of reform focused on curriculum, assessment and teaching practices.

Given the progress in the area, the Minister decided to bring forward the interim review of the Strategy. The views gathered during the review process, to date, have shown us a number of areas which merit more specific emphasis up to 2020. The Interim Review report will be published in the next few months.

Transitions Reform
For a number of years now there has been public debate about the use of the Leaving Certificate for selection and entry into higher education, as well as the impact that this transition has on the student experience at both second and third level.

We all knew that something positive had be done to alleviate some of the difficulties faced by our young people during this period of their lives, especially in terms of reducing the stress associated with the Leaving Certificate and in better preparing students for third level education.

For that reason, last year, the Minister for Education and Skills announced a package of reforms designed to support students in the transition from second-level into higher education, reforms which were developed following broad consultation with all stakeholders, including students.

These reforms will:
§ address the perceived predictability of the Leaving Certificate examinations, and thereby reduce inappropriate reliance on rote learning;
§ change the grading structure of the Leaving Certificate, to reduce the inordinate pressure on students to make tiny gains in marks;
§ revise the Common Points Scale, used by higher education institutions to admit students, to minimise the use of random selection in allocating places; and
§ broaden undergraduate entry by reducing the number of entry routes into higher education, which will reduce the complexity facing students and enable them to make better choices.

The new Leaving certificate grading and associated points scale will commence in 2017 and for entry to higher education for the 2017/18 academic year. Of key importance is H7 will now provide students achieving 30-40 per cent with CAO points.

Skills Strategy
Changing patterns of work, in an ever more globalised economy will require people to upskill and reskill throughout life for different careers and jobs. To meet this challenge a new Skills Strategy was launched by the Government in January.

The new Strategy sets out an ambitious course for the next ten years for skills development in Ireland and helps us look towards the future, and to the creation of a society where the talent and skills of all our people are nurtured.

The curricular reforms with their emphasis on skills development underway in second-level education are particularly relevant to the skills strategy.

Digital Strategy for Schools
The new Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020, enhancing Teaching, Learning and Assessment was launched by the Minister in October 2015.

The new Strategy builds on earlier work and it links with other strategies curriculum and otherwise.

Improving quality and accountability
In relation to improving quality and accountability, I would like to focus on school leadership and school autonomy and accountability.

Centre for School Leadership
The Minister formally launched the Centre last December.

The establishment of the Centre is an exciting development and presents a great opportunity to enhance leadership in our schools. The Centre will, through a process of genuine collaboration with other providers, ensure that school leaders can access a rich programme of support that is designed to enhance and support leadership.
Currently, the Centre’s main focus is on the training of Principal Mentors to support newly appointed Principals from next September.

The Centre will also develop a new post graduate programme for aspiring school leaders.

The team will continue to explore with you how school leaders can be further supported and I thank you for your contribution to the Centre to date.

School Autonomy and Accountability
Last December, the Department published a research paper on the issue of advancing school autonomy in Ireland. The research paper summarised a detailed review of the research on school autonomy and examined the feasibility of a range of possible options for advancing school autonomy in Ireland.

The paper was accompanied by a consultation paper, which set out some key questions arising from the findings of the research. We sought views, observations and suggestions on the issue. We hope that this will be the first step in a wide-ranging debate on the topic of school autonomy.

I am pleased that the process is underway with submissions having been made by a range of education partners, including the JMB, as well as individuals and I look forward to an ongoing debate on this in the near future.

Supporting Inclusion and Diversity
Turning to supporting inclusion and diversity, I would like to update you on our re-examination of how we can best support children and young people with special educational needs and those experiencing educational disadvantage.

New Resource Allocation Model
In 2014, the National Council for Special Education recommended a new model for allocating resource teaching support to schools, based on the profiled needs of each school, rather than on the diagnosed disability of individual children. Following a wide ranging consultation process, the Minister established a pilot of the new allocation model. The Pilot commenced at the beginning of the current school year and is ongoing.

On conclusion of the pilot, at the end of this year, a review will be conducted with a view to finalising the new allocation model for introduction, subject to Government approval, from the start of the 2017/2018 school year. Further consultations with stakeholders are planned as part of this review.

Educational Disadvantage
DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools aims to ensure that the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities are prioritised and effectively addressed. Evaluations of the programme show that it has made a significant impact on learning outcomes at both primary and post-primary levels.

A review of the DEIS programme announced last year is now well underway. The majority of the work involved is scheduled to take place during the course of the current school year and it is envisaged that a renewed programme of supports will be in place in schools in September 2017, subject to Government approval.
Within the review process a number of advisory groups are examining both the future arrangements for identifying schools for inclusion in the programme, and the way in which resources under the DEIS School Support Programme will be allocated.

Education partners, including the JMB, have already contributed to the review through comprehensive submissions on their experience of DEIS, and suggestions to inform future interventions to combat educational disadvantage. Further engagement with education partners is planned over the next month or so to inform the development of formal proposals for the renewal of DEIS.

Systems, Infrastructure and Resourcing

Resourcing
As well as advancing the change agenda which I have updated you on today, there is also a need to consider the priorities for investment in the future.

Following some difficult years there was a welcome increase in resources for schools announced in the Budget. Additional teaching resources equivalent to 550 teachers are being provided for post primary schools for the 2016/17 school year.

These additional teaching posts will enable Deputy Principals to be freed up from teaching time and be more fully available to assist the school principal with the leadership of the school.

Up to now only schools with over 500 students received an allocation to free up the Deputy Principal. With effect from 01 September 2016 second level schools with over 400 students will receive an allocation that will bring those schools in line with the schools that have over 500 pupils where the Deputy Principal is fully freed up.

A pro rata allocation of additional hours to support school leadership will also be provided to the schools with 400 or fewer students enrolled.

I am pleased to say that this successful outcome was a product of the collaborative effort of your organisation, the ACCS and ETBI with the Department. I accept that there is more to do, but a good start has been made and this approach shows the considerable benefits of what can be achieved by collaboration. I want to thank you for this engagement and I know that you are already building on what has already been achieved in discussions with my colleagues last week.

Budget 2016 also provided for an improved pupil-teacher ratio from 19:1 currently to 18.7:1 for the school year 2016/17. DEIS schools will now have pupil-teacher ratio of 18.25:1 compared to the standard 18.7:1.

In a circular issued earlier this year by the Department we have made it clear that this additional resource is to complement existing resources in order to best meet the guidance needs of the school in line with the school’s guidance plan.

As guidance is a whole school activity it is important that schools develop a school guidance plan on a collaborative basis with all parties, including their Guidance Counsellors, within the school community to ensure that guidance permeates all aspects of school life.

There is an opportunity at this juncture for Board of Managements in their oversight role to reflect in their deliberations how the provision of guidance is working in their school. This work should take a holistic approach to guidance provision. They can exercise an oversight role by having the guidance plan reviewed or redesigned to meet the needs of the school. Boards should consider the plan and how it is resourced before it adopts the plan and makes it available to all staff, parents and students.

It is also important to note that the Skills strategy also acknowledges the importance of guidance to its aims, and provides for a review of the full range of guidance services, tools and careers information available to students and adults. The review will map future priorities and make recommendations for improvements.
A major priority for the Department is to ensure that there is sufficient school accommodation so that our school system is in a position to cater for all pupils seeking school places. Post Primary school pupil enrolment numbers are projected to reach over 358,000 pupils in 2018, an increase of over 41,000 pupils since 2011, and will continue to rise until 2025. To ensure that our school system can cater for this increase in pupil numbers is a continuing challenge. The new 6 Year school building programme announced last November contains 124 large scale post primary construction projects including 57 in the Voluntary secondary school sector as part of a €2.8 billion school investment programme. The new programme will also assist in completing large scale projects that were announced and are progressing under the 5 year multi-annual Plan.

Today, the Minister announced that 62 post primary schools will be able to undertake school improvements this summer. This includes 32 voluntary secondary schools. The successful schools will receive funding to improve and upgrade existing school buildings. This first round of funding under the Summer Works Scheme for 2016 and 2017 will allow 197 schools at both primary and post primary level to carry out electrical and gas system building works. I wish to advise schools that subject to the overall availability of funding that valid applications from schools in further categories that were not reached under this round will qualify to be assessed under future rounds.

Priorities for Investment
In considering future investment, it will not be possible to satisfy all of the demands placed on the education system at the one time. It is therefore important for you to focus on what you believe the top priorities should be. It is my hope that funding, while limited in nature, will continue to be made available over the next few years to invest in our schools. The critical challenge for us all, will be to ensure that whatever additional resources are made available, that they are utilised in such a way as to maximise teaching and learning outcomes.

Conclusion
Mar fhocail scoir, ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil as ucht an deis a thabhairt dom labhairt libh ag bhur gcomhdháil. Táim ag tnúth le breischainte libh anois.

[In conclusion, thank you again for the opportunity to speak at your conference.
I look forward to the opportunity for further dialogue now.]