Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 118: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary schools that have teaching principals; the average size of these schools; the number of pupils, teachers and other staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6072/08]

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 137: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the action she has taken to reduce the work load of primary school principals as promised at the IPPN 2005 conference in City West having regard to the health and safety issues, including incidents of stress; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6040/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 118 and 137 together.

The information requested by the Deputy in relation to teaching principals is currently being compiled by my Department for the 2007/08 school year.

In the 2006/07 school year there were 2,100 primary schools with teaching principals. There were 159,500 pupils and 9,100 teachers (including ex-quota posts) in these schools.

Schools with a staffing of a Principal and up to 6 mainstream class teachers have a teaching principal. This is outlined in primary circular 0020/2007 which is available on my Department's website www.education.ie.

I am very conscious of the workload issues affecting Principal teachers who have a key role to play in determining the shape of our schools and I am glad to have the opportunity to acknowledge that the post of primary school principal is of critical importance in the management of primary education.

As part of the Programme for Government we are committed to supporting the role of principals through the provision of improved training options for principals, middle management and aspiring school leaders, to increase the number of release days for teaching principals, review the role of middle management in primary schools, to reduce the threshold for the appointment of deputy principals in primary schools, to substantially increase the ancillary services grant so that principals have better administrative support and to maximise the use of IT to cut down on administration and put a database in place to track primary pupils. The Programme for Government also provides that we will seek agreement through partnership for a facility to allow those who have served as principals for more than a certain number of years to return to full-time teaching duties, while maintaining some benefits.

In the 2005/2006 school year my Department, following consultation with the relevant education interests, including the IPPN, introduced on a pilot basis, a system whereby a fully qualified primary school teacher may be employed to act as nominated substitute teacher for the Principals in a cluster of schools taking release days. Twenty clusters have been established under the pilot scheme. The position will be monitored by my Department during the pilot.

In November 2006, my Department introduced a free and confidential Employee Assistance Service (EAS) for all teachers including principals. VHI Corporate Solutions has been contracted by my Department to deliver the service, the purpose of which is to provide teachers, including principals, and their immediate family members with easy access to confidential counselling and to assist in coping with the effect of personal and work related issues. The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Since the start of the 2006/07 school year my Department has introduced further initiatives to assist with reducing the workload of primary school principals.

Following the introduction of DEIS in the 2006/07 school year, schools which qualified for the Urban Strand (Band 1 and 2) of the School Support Programme (SSP) are entitled to the allocation of administrative principals on lower enrolment and staffing figures than apply in primary schools generally.

Additionally primary schools with a staffing of Principal plus four or five mainstream class teachers that also have a specialist autism unit established under the approval of the National Council for Special Education, are entitled to appoint the Principal on an administrative basis.

In the current school year the appointment of Deputy Principals on an administrative (non-teaching) basis was introduced at primary level for the first time.

Schools with 24 or more mainstream class teachers (including Developing School Posts and certain posts allocated under Social Inclusion measures) and mainstream schools that, in addition to ordinary mainstream class teachers, also have five or more special classes for children with more complex, low incidence, special needs can appoint the Deputy Principal on an administrative basis.

In all of the above instances, a permanent mainstream class teacher may be appointed to replace the Principal and Deputy Principal.

The existing scheme of release time continues to operate for primary Principals. This scheme enables teaching principals of primary schools to be released from their teaching duties for a specified number of days annually to undertake administrative leadership and management functions. The number of days release time allowed varies between 14 and 22 and is determined by the number of mainstream class teachers in the school. Paid substitution is provided by my Department for the days that principals are on release time.