SPRING2014
news
21st CenturySchool Management Systems Essential to Implementing & Sustaining Educational Reform
Will the new Junior Cycle marginalise
social studies?
‘Rethinking’ & ‘Opening Up’ Education
Contents
The information contained in ETBI News is, to the best of our
knowledge, accurate at the time of publication. The views
expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of ETBI.
Design by: Design Farm www.designfarm.ie
ETBI SPRING 2014
02 Welcome
Section 1 – National and European events
03 ‘Rethinking’ and ‘Opening Up’ Education
06 'We did it' – VECs to ETBs
08 SOLAS – Up and Running
09 ETB/SOLAS Project Management Office – An update
12 21st Century Management Systems in Second Level Schools Essential to Sustainable Reform of System
18 Seeking reassurance on your safety management system
19 Spring cleaning your risk register
20 Will the new Junior Cycle marginalise
social studies?
24 iSchoolApp & ETBI - National Rollout of App
26 Review of Apprenticeship Training in Ireland
28 The National Educational Psychological
Service (NEPS): Promoting Well-Being in
Post-Primary Schools
30 Irish hospitality is at a crossroads
31 ETBI Winter Administrative Staff Seminar
32 The Youth Guarantee
34 Matching Education with the needs of Public
Services of the future
38 ETBI Standing Council visit Arás an Uachtaráin
39 Transition to rewards
40 EULIVET – European Leadership and Management
in Vocational Education and Training
40 Meeting with Romanian Education Ministers
41 EDISON - Casting New Light on Entrepreneurship
Education
Section 2: News
42 Donegal ETB Schools excel at 50th Young
Scientist Exhibition
42 Kerry ETB host Anti-Bullying Conference
43 Discover Sensors supporting the New Junior Cycle
44 Recently appointed CEOs
45 Inspirational speakers address City of Dublin ETB
delegates at Dublin Castle seminar
46 Coláiste Na Mí move into their new School Building
47 John Lonergan helps Tipperary Youth reaches
celebrate
48 Music Generation announces South Dublin and
Clare as final funding recipients
41
07
21
ETBI magazine Spring.indd 1 24/02/2014 14:55
2 ETBI WINTER 2013
After four of the most difficult
years economically in the history
of the State there are some
welcome signs that the economy
is turning around with significant
improvement in job creation and
ongoing decline in the number of
adults who are unemployed. With the
improvement in economic activity in
EU member states, as well as in the
USA, there is reason for some degree
of optimism.
Recovery will be slow and many of the
new job opportunities are in areas of
high skills which may not be within reach
of thousands of unemployed adults.
The European Commission has
placed education and training at the
core of the EU strategy to rebuild the
economies of member states and this
is also the case in Ireland. Vocational
education and training is now central
to Europe's strategy to reposition itself
in the global economy. The challenge
now across Europe is to deliver on the
knowledge, skills and competencies
that the labour market needs.
Here in Ireland the complete overhaul
and restructuring of the further
education and training sectors is
intended to achieve better and more
efficient training agencies, working
collaboratively with other state
agencies, to target the jobseekers
and other learners seeking the skills
needed to re-enter the workforce.
The broad mission of education and
training encompasses objectives such
as active citizenship as well as personal
development and wellbeing and these go
hand-in-hand with the need to upgrade
skills for employability. ETBs, through
their second-level schools and further
education colleges, are well placed
to develop the required transversal,
generic skills while also delivering on
the industry-specific skills through their
further education colleges.
The recently published reviews of the
PLC sector and Apprenticeship training
are welcomed by ETBI. They provide
analysis and recommendations that will
inform strategic planning locally and
nationally. As major stakeholders in
further education and training, ETBs look
forward to engaging constructively in the
change processes that will be required
to effect the main recommendations
in both reports. The positioning of the
16 ETBs at the core of state education
and training provision gives the Sector
a significantly expanded role in building
workforce capacity. This work will be
undertaken in the context of the national
further education and training strategy
currently being developed by SOLAS, the
Further Education and Training Authority.
Despite the current difficult environment
for ETBs and the education sector
generally, there is much positive work
underway. ETBI is currently engaged in
an international project (Edison) which
is intended to result in the importation
of best practice in the incorporation of
education for entrepreneurship into Irish
school curricula from three countries
(Austria, Spain, Italy) with considerable
success in this area. Another
international project that ETBI is involved
in focuses on the development of VET
leadership. Also, the Breathe project is
being rolled out across the country with
the financial support of IPB Insurance.
Breathe, a professional response to
the ever increasing incidence of suicide
among young people, is about changing
attitudes and improving communications
between teachers, parents and
teenagers around student wellbeing.
Instructional Leadership, which
operates under the patronage of ETBI,
is a very successful CPD programme
focusing on teaching and learning in
the classroom. The influence of this
programme in changing how teachers
teach and students learn continues
to grow. ETBI also has developed a
range of specifically targeted training
programmes which further underpin
the positive developments within the
sector at a time of very significant
structural change.
We are all laying new foundations for a
better education and training system and
every employee in the education sector
has made personal and professional
sacrifices in terms of their contribution
to this change process. Significantly,
there has also been industrial peace,
something that is greatly appreciated.
The reform of Junior Cycle education is
probably the greatest challenge facing
the education system currently. ETBI
broadly supports the overall thrust of
the Junior Cycle Framework proposals
and is working constructively with the
other education partners to advance
this major reform. International
experience tells us that if we want
to change teaching and learning we
must change the way we assess our
students; that we must move from high
stakes external examinations to more school-based assessment, where the
focus is on assessment for learning
and the criteria for assessment are
based on the learner outcomes set
out in the subject specifications. On
the other hand, there is also a need to
ensure that the proposed changes are
resourced in a way that will ensure their
implementation in the first instance and
their sustainability in the longer term.
Hopefully, with the cooperation of all
the partners, we can be successful on
both fronts.
Welcome
"With the improvement in economic activity in EU
member states, as well as in the USA, there is reason
for some degree of optimism."
Michael Moriarty, ETBI General Secretary
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 3
One year ago, the European
Commission launched a
new strategy for Rethinking Education1 against the backdrop of a
tense economic situation, enduring the
after-shocks of the crisis and growing
unemployment rates, especially among
young people. Rethinking Education
was developed to help EU Member
States carry out educational reforms
with a focus on skills – the skills that
are required by the economy and the
labour market today, but also those
that can help young people get ready
for the challenges of the future.
The average unemployment rate in
the EU currently amounts to 9.5 %,
but the youth unemployment rate is
23.5 %, that is more than twice the
rate for adults, and it exceeds 50% in
some countries. In addition, 7.5 million
people in the 15-24 age group are
neither in employment nor in education
or training (the so-called NEETs). In
2012, 12.7% of EU pupils left school
after lower secondary education. Our
target to reduce early school-leaving
to less than 10% by 2020 is therefore
within our reach. But over 50% of early
school leavers are unemployed today.
Many Member States have a good
share of highly-skilled workers, but
there are two million unfilled vacancies
in the EU. While the knowledge
economy keeps asking for higher skills,
and our attainment rate in higher
education is 36% - taking us closer to
our 40% target for 2020 - more than 70
million Europeans have only low or no
formal qualifications. While the demand
for low-skilled workers is forecast to
drop by 20% by 2020, about 20% of
the EU’s adult population have so
limited skills that they risk becoming
unemployable and to suffer from
poverty and social exclusion. Skills
mismatches and bottlenecks in many
regions and sectors epitomise the
inadequacy of certain education and
training systems.
To make things worse, the economic
downturn has led many EU Member
States to cut education and
training budgets.
Europe’s structural weaknesses,
exposed by the crisis, and long-term
challenges such as globalisation
and an ageing population, must be
addressed through structural reforms,
to enable Europe to recover and
grow. But Europe cannot and will not
compete merely on costs. We need to
invest in the performance of education
and training systems, to equip people
with the skills needed in the 21st
century and boost innovation and
competitiveness.
Our education and training systems
are good, but we must make them
better. This is why the Commission is
pushing for reforms. To help Member
States take informed and evidence-
based policy decisions, the European
Commission follows their performances
and publishes an Education and
Training Monitor2 every year, with
detailed information about the trends in
education systems and skills supply at
EU and national level.
The situation described above calls for
a radical rethinking of education. We
must ask ourselves: what can we do to
secure better learning outcomes
in Europe?
Rethinking Education3 makes the
case for immediate action and
investment in education and training
and encourages Member States to
focus reforms in three areas: quality,
funding and accessibility.
FIRSTLY, QUALITY: WHAT SHOULD EU EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEMS DELIVER?
Young people need basic skills, such as
reading and calculating, but these are
not enough. They also need technical
skills and wider competences such
as entrepreneurial and digital skills,
and foreign languages (so-called
“transversal skills”).
To reduce youth unemployment it is
essential to facilitate transitions from
education to work and strengthen the
links between education systems and
the labour market. Apprenticeships
are an effective way of doing so, and
the Commission encourages Member
States to develop work-based learning
schemes.The European Alliance for
Apprenticeships4, which was launched
in July 2013 in Leipzig during the
World Skills event, is an excellent
example of cooperation to coordinate
and upscale apprenticeship schemes
involving the European Commission,
Member States, social partners,
chambers of commerce, industry and
‘Opening Up’ EducationAntónio Silva Mendes, Director, Education and Vocational Training, European Commission.
‘Rethinking’and
4 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
crafts, education and training providers,
businesses and youth organisations.
The Commission is also in the
process of defining guidelines to
encourage education institutions to
develop entrepreneurial approaches in
leadership, teacher development and
curriculum delivery.
Foreign languages can open up new
opportunities; therefore the Commission
proposes a new benchmark on foreign
language competences.
We need to find ways to help the
unemployed, especially the long-
term unemployed, obtain the skills or
guidance needed to find a job. As low-
skilled workers tend to not take part in
re-skilling and up-skilling programmes,
it is urgent to break up the “low-skills
trap” and improve the provision of
lifelong learning opportunities.
The Commission is also discussing with
employer and workers’ organisations
how to improve training opportunities
for working adults.
SECONDLY, ‘RETHINKING EDUCATION’ ADDRESSES THE CRUCIAL ISSUE OF FUNDING: HOW CAN GOVERNMENTS AND INSTITUTIONS FUND THE MODERNISATION OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEMS DESPITE SEVERE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS?Especially in times of austerity,
resources must be invested and used
efficiently – including in education
and training. Member States are
facing the hard challenge of improving
education and training systems while
consolidating public finances. Therefore
the Commission encourages them to
open national debates on how to fund
reforms efficiently. Rethinking Education
provides examples of investments in
education that are likely to yield the
highest returns, such as Sector Skills
Councils, competence development
funds, or partnerships between
employers and higher education
institutions.
But we all know that better learning outcomes can only be achieved with good teachers. Developing the
competences of teaching staff is a
continuing and increasingly urgent
priority for us. A new generation of
teachers is ready to take over and a
new set of skills is required from them.
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 5
THIRDLY, ‘RETHINKING EDUCATION’ LOOKS AT ACCESSIBILITY: HOW CAN EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEMS ENHANCE OPEN AND FLEXIBLE LEARNING?We must help people to become
sufficiently versatile to cope with
changing contexts and labour markets.
This means that education cannot
be limited to a few years. Research
reveals that worldwide demand for
university studies will greatly exceed
the capacity of the existing system in
the coming decades.
The Commission encourages Member
States to create flexible options such
as high-quality distance learning.
Widening access and engagement
through Open Education is a necessity.
Technology will play a crucial role
in this.
For this reason, the Commission
launched a new initiative, in
September 2013, entitled, Opening
up Education5.
This is a strategic push towards
a stronger integration of ICT –
Information and Communication
Technologies, and OER – Open
Educational Resources in education
and training. These new modes of
teaching and learning are an incredible
opportunity to reform the way we see
education; by allowing all individuals to learn anywhere, anytime, with
the support of anyone, and using
any device.
1 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/news/communication-rethinking-education
2 http://ec.europa.eu/education/library/publications/monitor13_en.pdf
3 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/Result.do?RechType=RECH_celex&lang=en&ihmlang=en&code=52012DC0669
4 http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/vocational-policy/alliance_en.htm
5 http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/strategic-framework/education-technology.htm
6 http://ec.europa.eu/education/opportunities/index_en.htm
7 available here : http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/strategic-framework/expert-groups_en.htm
8 http://ec.europa.eu/education/index_en.htm
But there are challenges we must
face in order to be able to exploit
these opportunities. The European
Commission is not only providing
financial support – through the
Erasmus+ programme6 – but is also
providing guidance about three kinds
of changes that may be required
all over Europe and not only in
the EU: Learning environments,
Open Educational Resources and
Connectivity.
Concerning specifically teacher
education and training: teachers are,
and will remain, central actors in
education; but they are faced with an
enormous challenge: with the growing
uptake of ICT, their role is shifting
from providers of knowledge to one of
supporting and guiding students through
the enormous amount of information
and content available. But for this they
must be provided with the adequate
environment and skills. Schools and
universities should promote innovation
and support teachers who wish to
introduce new modes of teaching and
learning; that may include simple things
like having local technical helpdesks
to resolve minor difficulties which so
frequently become barriers. But it also
includes a strong need for teacher
training in the effective pedagogic use
of ICT: this is not teaching teachers
how to use a computer, but how to
teach effectively with computers and
digital media. If we want to grasp the
opportunities provided by technology,
we must support our teachers towards
that change.
Because teachers and trainers – and
indeed those who educate them – are
such a crucial part of our education and
training systems, we work closely with
experts nominated by Member States
to identify the most effective ways to
tackle common challenges such as
how to attract the best candidates into
teaching, or how to make sure that all
teacher educators have the requisite
competences. The Commission’s working
group recently produced two excellent
reports, distilling the best experience
from around Europe. They are entitled
‘Supporting teacher competence
development for better learning
outcomes’ and ‘Supporting teacher
educators for better learning outcomes’7.
On a parallel track, the Commission is
also working to facilitate the recognition
and transparency of all qualifications,
including those gained outside formal
education. This will make it easier for
individuals to describe their skills and
increase mobility in the labour market
across Europe.
Another essential instrument that
will help translate into practice the
priorities of Rethinking Education is the
new European Union programme for
education, training, youth and sport:
Erasmus+8. As from 2014, Erasmus+
will provide 40% more funding
compared to our current programmes.
It will support learning mobility, as well
as dialogue and partnerships between
policy makers and stakeholders to
support the reforms advocated by
Rethinking Education.
6 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
The mergers of VECs to produce
ETBs have taken place. Now
the first seven training centres
have transferred into four ETBs and
a certain amount of panic in that
transition has subsided until the next
phase of transfers assails us. The
first six months have flown by as we
have adjusted to the new working
environment and the stresses of
moving, changing job responsibilities,
responding to a different line manager
or whatever changes have assailed
us in our particular ETB. All of us
have a style and manner of handling
stress and coping in new situations.
One sure thing is that the level and
speed of change has been really
significant. Another is that although
the immediate pressure may ease,
there is more to come. So how can we
best react to the new, the unwanted,
the expectations, the longing for what
was and the excitement of the future.
Along with some colleagues, I have
been looking recently at recruitment
and, in particular, interviewing. We
have been reading about competences
for posts and how to determine what is
required. There has been an emphasis
on leadership as a quality. Indicators
of the leadership competence relate to
sharing a vision, facilitating people in
the organisation to realise that vision,
modelling and articulating the values,
'We did it'Paddy Lavelle CEO, Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB, and President CEEOA
setting high expectations, and creating
a climate conducive to achieving
these expectations.
We are emerging, chrysalis-like,
into our new growth phase of ETB
existence and there is a pressing need
for such competences to be shown.
But leadership is actually not the
competence of just one or two people
in an organisation. It is largely and
widely distributed across units and
centres and schools. In ETBs, there
is a need for as many as possible
of those in leadership positions to
acknowledge, support and defend
the competence of others without
the title of leader to exercise these
competences. Creating a culture of
interdependence fuels the growth
of a person-centred culture where
autonomy is a value.
In an earlier ar ticle, I recalled the
movement from a dominant culture
of role definition to one where the
individual uses his/her own initiative.
An increasing autonomy needs to
be supported through action that
nurtures and promotes individuals
aiming to fulfil expectations. The
vision of ETBs serving the needs of
the learner is paramount.
Successful re-engineering of culture
requires that all of us as leaders lose
the fantasy of a corporate culture of
reflexive obedience and put in the work
to make a culture of willingness and
individual accountability. This process
takes time, and it is often the pace of
change that inhibits the successful re-
engineering of the culture. Consensus
and transactional leaders are most
effective at integrating cultures. For
this to occur, participants must feel
that they are consulted and involved
as part of the decision-making
process. Indeed, it is well accepted
that communication is the key tool
within any change process and that
failure to communicate generally
results in individuals feeling uncertain
and anxious about their future.
To motivate followers, leaders
must get in touch with their core
values and communicate them
through vision and personal actions.
Studies have found that leaders who
display transformational leadership
behavioural components (inspirational
motivation, intellectual stimulation,
idealised influence and individualised
consideration) are able to realign their
followers’ values and norms, promote
both personal and organisational
changes, and help followers to exceed
their initial per formance expectations.
Leadership is essentially a process of
social influence in which individuals
want to feel included, supported and
reinforced, especially during change.
Relationships between people and
their leader will affect perceived
"We are emerging, chrysalis-like, into our new growth
phase of ETB existence and there is a pressing need for
such competences to be shown."
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 7
leader effectiveness. As such, an
understanding of such relations needs
to address issues of the individual’s
self-concept. Core aspects of the
self are relatively stable despite
the situation, but many peripheral
aspects such as organisational
culture and leadership practices may
be constraining factors that affect
consequences for individuals and
therefore their perceptions of the
leader. Leaders will be perceived in a
positive manner when consequences
for individuals involved in the change
process are positive.
Perceptions about how a merger
change process has been managed
seem to hinge to a large extent on
the approach adopted by leaders
in each institution. When change
is handled well, cooperation and
acceptance result; if it is managed
badly, on the other hand, stress,
anxiety and disenchantment occur.
In addition, the need for planning,
consultation and even compassion
in order for change management to
be successful is key. People want a
more transparent change process,
where leaders explain carefully the
reasons for change so that all who
are involved have knowledge of
what is taking place. The change
management process or approach
selected by leaders (indifferent,
immediate and incremental) may
result in very different outcomes in
terms of the success of the merger
and, in particular, in terms of the
individuals involved.
“To lead people, walk beside them ... As for the best leaders, the
people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people
honour and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the
people hate ... When the best leader's work is done the people
say, 'We did it ourselves!'"Lao-Tsu, Chinese philosopher.
In the new ETBs, we have some
way to go to align our operations. At
the same time, there is a pressing
need to make progress on our new
organisational goals. We will achieve
things together when we believe
that our future depends on one
another, when we respond creatively
to the goals we are set and seek
opportunities to develop a culture
that puts the learner’s interest first
and asks the big question-what am
I doing to fur ther those interests?
Together we will make the ETBs'
reputation solid and respected in the
communities we serve.
8 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
A n tSeirbhís Oideachais
Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna
(SOLAS) came into being on the
27th October last year. SOLAS is the
Further Education and Training Authority
and has been very busy in its first few
months as a new organisation. This is
set to continue with a number of priority
objectives to be achieved by the middle
of 2014.
These objectives are divided into two
main types:
supporting ETBs as they assume
responsibility for the delivery of
training in addition to their current
responsibilities for further education;
preparing the ground for the new,
integrated, further education and
training service as envisaged by
the two pieces of legislation which
established SOLAS and the ETBs.
The initial phase of the first objective
was achieved through the transfer of
approximately 40% of the former FÁS
training operations to the ETB sector
on 1st January of this year. Together,
Kerry ETB, Cork ETB, Dublin City ETB
and Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB took
over the ownership of seven former
FÁS training centres. Over 400 staff
transferred with these centres, as well
as other resources. It is estimated that
these four ETBs will provide services
to about 22,000 learners during 2014,
which are in addition to those learners
who are already receiving further
education opportunities through the
existing provision of those ETBs. So
far the transfer process has gone very
well thanks to the excellent cooperation
between the many ETB and SOLAS staff
who worked on the various projects
involved and also through the significant
support received from the Department
of Education & Skills through its
Programme Management Office.
The remaining 60% of training provision
will transfer to the relevant ETBs with
a target date of 1st July. Detailed
preparations are commencing to
achieve this goal with, again, many ETB
and SOLAS staff cooperating to make
sure arrangements go as smoothly
as possible. Through all phases of
the transfer process, SOLAS and ETB
colleagues are working hard to ensure
continuity of support for our learners.
Turning to the future, SOLAS is
managing three major projects
designed to set further education and
training (FET) on a new course in the
years to come.
The first major project is the preparation
of an integrated further education and
training services plan in respect of
2014. This will set out how the State’s
investment of approximately €826
million will be invested for the benefit
of the many learners who will access
FET programmes during this year. All
16 ETBs are working with SOLAS in the
preparation of this plan – it is expected
to be completed by the end of March.
This is a major undertaking which will
bring together, for the first time, the
two existing approaches to FET which
were traditionally managed separately
by FÁS and the VECs. Not only will it set
out FET services for 2014, it will also
provide very valuable learning to
inform the future planning of delivery
of both strands of FET in a new and
integrated fashion.
Probably the most important early
objective for SOLAS is the development
of a new 5-year strategic ‘roadmap’
for FET. This is in preparation at the
moment and will be submitted to the
Minister for Education & Skills by the
end of March. The Minister will then
consider the proposed strategy and
may, under the SOLAS legislation,
accept the strategy, accept it with
amendments or determine a different
direction. In developing this strategy,
SOLAS is being supported by the ESRI.
A comprehensive evaluation of current
provision, together with international
benchmarking and extensive
consultation with stakeholders –
including with many ETB colleagues -
are being used to inform the proposals
which are in preparation.
Another major project is the
development of a 3-year SOLAS
Corporate Plan. This will complement
the FET 5-year strategic roadmap
and will set out in more detail the
approach to be adopted by SOLAS,
as an organisation, as it plays its
part in delivering the overall vision
for the sector. This is important
because SOLAS clearly recognises
that, although it has overall strategic
responsibility for FET, ETBs are lead
partners in making the implementation
of a new strategy a reality. Work is
well advanced on this project, which
also has a tight timeline and must be
submitted to the Minister for Education
& Skills in April of this year.
Finally, SOLAS will be moving to its new
head office during March and April.
This is located in Castleforbes Street
in Dublin 1 and we look forward to
meeting many ETB colleagues there in
the years to come.
We will keep you updated on future
developments.
SOLAS – Up and RunningBy Paul O’Toole, CEO of SOLAS
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 9
INTRODUCTIONIt may be true that there are no
shortcuts to any place worth going.
And yet, in a short space of time key
elements in the reform of the ETB/
SOLAS sector have been implemented.
Since the establishment of Education
and Training Boards (ETBs) on 1
July 2013, SOLAS was established
on 27 October 2013 and 7 training
centres and their staff transferred to
ETBs on 1 January 2014. A number
of complicated logistical matters,
particularly involving Revenue issues,
were resolved to support these
moves. Four ETBs with Manser
systems merged their payrolls and
work on migrating the 5 ETBs using
Corepay to a managed service is well
underway. Work on the Cost Benefit
Analysis for a payroll shared service
for ETBs is ongoing and a project
team has been appointed. Issues
around organisational structures,
human resources and ICT connectivity
continue to be progressed.
Given the myriad elements of this
complex programme of reform, the
need for a sector-wide strategic
approach has never been greater.
The reform programme, supported
by the Department’s Project
Management Office (PMO), is leading
this change agenda and the office,
through consultation with the sector,
is developing the next phase of its
programme plan. It is, therefore,
timely to provide an update on the
programme’s work and what can be
expected in 2014.
By Dalton Tattan, Programme Manager, ETB/SOLAS Project Management Office, Department of Education and Skills
An Update
PAYROLLA Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) for a
payroll shared service for ETBs is being
prepared. Following a tender process,
Deloitte was selected to support this
work. Payroll baseline revalidation
templates were recently issued to
the sector and workshops were held
in early February to assist ETBs with
this task. Gwen Moore of ETBI has
assisted with the first phase of work
which involves gathering baseline data
from ETBs. A Project Steering Group
has been appointed which includes
representation from the sector.
A Payroll Project Team has been
appointed comprising Deirdre
McDonnell, DES (Project Manager);
Norma Skehan, Kildare and Wicklow
ETB (Process Lead); Kieran O’Sullivan,
Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB
(Technology Lead); and Karl Duff,
Dublin and Dun Laoghaire ETB
(Communications Lead). While the
main work of this team will be on the
implementation of the CBA, their early
assignment to the team will ensure
that the analysis project receives
the support it needs and it is hoped
that this stage of the work will be
completed by May this year. Once the
CBA is completed and approved, the
focus will switch to implementation
which is expected to begin in the
second half of 2014.
As well as the work needed for the
long-term solution for payroll, there
has been a need to take short-term
actions to resolve existing urgent
issues. Following the approval by the
Department of Public Expenditure
and Reform of a business case put
forward by the PMO, the 5 ETBs that
use Corepay are moving to a managed
service. This will address their existing
operating system and hardware issues
which have become critical. Cork ETB
has agreed to be the pilot for the first
move to a managed service. Core has
been on-site in the Cork ETB offices
gathering data and analysing its current
payroll, pension, personnel, and time
and employee self-service systems.
Once documented, Core will present a
proposed solution to the Subject Matter
Expert Design Group which comprises
key payroll, HR and IT staff. Core has
submitted a detailed plan to the PMO
for approval under which the managed
service would be implemented in
Cork by July this year and for all 5
participating ETBs by October.
The majority of payrolls in the ETB
sector run on the Manser system. The
PMO sanctioned the merging of Manser
payroll systems for those ETBs who
chose to do this. Four ETBs participated
in this project and successfully
merged their payrolls. As part of the
payroll merger, each participating
ETB mapped its expenditure codes.
This will facilitate the merging of their
Financial (creditors/receipts) systems,
a proposal for which has been approved
SOLAS – Up and Running ETB/SOLAS PMO
10 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
discussions. Between those meetings,
a large volume of work was undertaken
to ensure adequate information
flows and that there was a shared
understanding of the matters being
discussed. The engagement, while
very intensive, was always constructive
and allowed a position paper to be
prepared setting out the various issues
discussed and proposals to address
them. That engagement with the unions
representing the SOLAS staff who
have transferred, or who will transfer
later this year, is continuing and
separate pieces of work will need to be
undertaken this year in this regard.
ETB/SOLAS ORGANISATION DESIGN The PMO is continuing its work on the
future organisational structures of the
ETBs. The PMO has sought sectoral
nominees to form a consultative team
which will assist in an examination of
the organisation and resource needs
of ETBs and SOLAS having regard to
their new roles, how systems and other
supports are provided and the reality
of existing public service resource
constraints. It is hoped that the work
in devising an initial organisational
structure for ETBs will be completed by
the summer.
COMMUNICATIONS Given the importance of
communications to the success of the
reform programme, and having regard
to the feedback received from the
sector on the draft Communications
Management Plan, the PMO is putting
in place a number of measures:
Each ETB was asked to nominate
a contact person to whom all
communication for broad distribution
can be sent.. This list is now
complete and will be used for all
further general communication
A dedicated ETB/SOLAS PMO area is
currently being finalised on the DES
website (www.education.ie) where
general information and updates
can be accessed by all staff. It is
by the PMO. A project plan for this work
is being developed. Kildare and Wicklow
ETB has agreed to be the pilot ETB
for the project. At the time of writing
it is expected that this project will be
completed by April.
ICTThe importance of ICT as an integral
part of any organisation’s activity is
clear and the issue of connectivity for
ETBs has been a recurring theme and
concern in the reform programme so
far. In responding to that identified
need the PMO, with the assistance
of Cork and Donegal ETBs, has
compiled a detailed connectivity FAQ
document which is intended to identify
the connectivity needs of ETBs. That
document has been circulated to ETBs
for observations. The PMO will then
engage with Government Networks
(GN) to ensure that its services can
meet those needs. It is also hoped
that GN will host a briefing session for
ETBs to clarify any outstanding areas
of concern. The PMO expects to make
a decision on connectivity in March
and this decision will form part of an
ICT Strategy for the sector on certain
key matters.
For the 5 ETBs moving to the managed
service for payroll, it is a condition of
the sanction from the Department of
Public Expenditure and Reform that the
connection is made via Government
Networks. Two of those ETBs already
had a GN connection while the
remaining 3 are in the process of
securing that connection.
Transfer of SOLAS training centres
Following lengthy and detailed
negotiations involving the PMO, the
sector and the Revenue Commissioners,
a successful migration of former VEC
and FÁS/SOLAS employees from the
employer numbers of the former VECs
to the relevant employer number of
their new ETB took place. Revenue also
facilitated the successful migration
of employees from the former FÁS
employer number to the new SOLAS
employer number. Both migrations are
effective from 1 January 2014.
1 July 2014 has been fixed as the
date for the transfer of the remaining
training centres to ETBs. The PMO has
met with ETBs receiving training centre
staff in phase 2 and will continue
to work closely with them over the
course of this transition. In particular,
we will focus on building on, and
communicating, the lessons learnt from
the first phase move.
For 2014, those ETBs with or receiving
a training centre will retain primary
responsibility for training. Each such
ETB will continue to receive funding
in respect of training provision, direct
staff to ensure delivery of training and
retain responsibility for the quality of
that training. Those ETBs will continue
to be accountable to SOLAS in respect
of these matters. The position for 2015
and beyond will be considered as part
of a separate process.
The successful transfer of the first
phase of training centres to ETBs
on 1 January 2014 could not have
been achieved without the capability,
capacity and willingness of the people
involved to make it happen. Over the
course of a very tight timeframe from
October to December last, the PMO
led a series of meetings composed of
ETB and SOLAS management and staff
representatives. A considerable number
of issues were placed on the agenda
and were the subject of detailed
"The major structural changes underway undoubtedly present
complex challenges and they must be viewed in the context of
the wider public service reforms which are taking place."
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 11
expected to go live in February
A standardised approach to issuing
communication to ETBs, including a
PMO logo, has also been agreed and
will be used from February onwards
A final approved communications
management plan will be issued
in February. This plan may be
subject to change depending on the
requirements of the project, change
in scope and other matters
These measures are additional to
existing activity such as the bimonthly
newsletter which is intended for all
staff in ETBs and SOLAS, regular
meetings between the Department and
CEOs, and the PMO’s participation in
formal communication sessions.
CONCLUSION The PMO’s programme plan for this
phase of the reform agenda is a
demanding one. In addition to the
projects already discussed, we will
in 2014 be moving to develop a Cost
Benefit Analysis for a finance shared
service for ETBs, carry out a review of
property held by ETBs and examine how
ETBs can be supported in areas such
as quality assurance. The PMO will also
continue to provide a single point of
contact to support operational issues,
such as those that arise with Revenue,
and to work through solutions for the
benefit of ETBs and the communities
they serve.
The vision for the ETB/SOLAS reform
programme is to have “fit for purpose”
structures which will enable ETBs and
SOLAS to focus on their core missions,
to ensure the integrated delivery of
further education and training, and
to enable ETBs to do things better,
both as education and training service
providers, and in the performance
of their back office functions. If the
programme is to realise those benefits,
the projects of which it is composed
must become part of “business as
usual” for ETBs and SOLAS.
In managing the reform programme,
the PMO is managing the
interdependencies and risks across the
various projects. Given the significant
level of achievement already in this
reform programme, there is persuasive
evidence that the approach is
working. The major structural changes
underway undoubtedly present complex
challenges and they must be viewed in
the context of the wider public service
reforms which are taking place. There
is an imperative that those challenges
are addressed through a cohesive,
sectoral response. In the Winter 2013
edition of Etbi News (www.etbi.ie/
category/publications/newsletters/), I
remarked on the need for coordination,
collective responsibility and a shared
view across the sector on the range of
issues which are part of this reform.
The PMO will continue to seek to foster
this way of working as the blueprint
through which the reform objectives will
be delivered.
Paul Patton EO (Left) and Brendan Ryan of Limerick and Clare ETB at the SOLAS /ETB Seminar
Liz McHugh and Brian Gallagher of City of Dublin ETB at the SOLAS /ETB Seminar
12 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
21st Century School Management Systems Essential to Implementing and Sustaining Educational Reform
GOOD MANAGEMENT KEY TO ORGANISATIONAL SUCCESSThere is general acknowledgement
that the success of any organisation or
project depends heavily on the way it is
managed, irrespective of whether it is
a football team, a bank, a nation, Irish
Water, or the Microsoft Corporation.
Critical here is organisational
structure and the capacity, authority,
responsibility and accountability of each
manager in the management matrix;
and every successful organisation
is only too aware of this. Even those
with an elementary understanding of
organisational theory appreciate that
unless organisations establish cohesive
and efficient management structures
their capacity to set and achieve
organisational goals will hinge on a
confluence of chance developments.
Besides, management experts
generally concur that the notion of
the single omnipotent, heroic leader
is redundant in today’s organic and
complex organisations. Today, dispersed
leadership and management are
deemed critical to organisations both
defining and achieving their macro and
micro goals. Here the term manager
is applied to someone who has clear
responsibility for a particular set of
functions, has the authority required to
Pat O’Mahony, ETBI Education Research Officer
undertake those functions, and is held
accountable for those functions being
carried out to an agreed standard.
While our earlier understanding about
the number of subordinates that should
report to any particular manager
has changed, given developments
in information technology and
organisational structure, there is,
nevertheless, a limit to the number of
staff that should report to a manager of
any kind.
SCHOOL MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES IGNORE ORGANISATIONAL THEORY AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCERegrettably, the management
structures that have been put in place
for our schools substantially ignore
decades of development and research
in the cognate fields of organisational
theory and management science.
Notwithstanding the very significant
resources invested in the post of
responsibility structures in our schools,
the principal is still the only person
with the manifest authority to lead and
manage other staff. Of course many
post holders lead and manage staff;
but they do not necessarily have the
authority to do so, nor do they have
clear responsibility for doing so, nor
are they held accountable for doing so.
Essentially, the post of responsibility
system (middle management) in our
schools is not fit-for-purpose and
this is not the fault of principals,
deputy principals or post holders.
The management structure is simply
not appropriate to what is required to
ensure the effective management of
schools in the 21st century and there
is little that can be done to the present
structure to remedy this fatal defect.
We need a new paradigm.
CURRENT POST OF RESPONSIBILITY SYSTEMThe current post system may be
characterised as follows. Most post
holders were appointed on the basis
of seniority. Schools can only advertise
posts that all qualified teachers can
undertake – irrespective of their subject
or other expertise; consequently,
posts, such as ICT coordinator or
subject faculty coordinator can only be
advertised if it is demonstrable that
the post’s duties can be undertaken by
all qualified teachers with a stipulated
number of years of experience. While
there is a list of duties associated with
each post there is no clear connection
between those duties and the person
who fills the post. Post holders do not
have explicit authority, or feel they do
not have such authority, to carry out the
functions associated with their post.
Indeed, the whole management culture
of schools runs counter to anyone other
than the principal having the authority
to manage other staff. There is no
The New South Wales Experience
"...management experts generally concur that the notion of
the single omnipotent, heroic leader is redundant in today’s
organic and complex organisations."
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 13
real evaluation of the way duties are
carried out. And, most importantly, post
holders are not held accountable for
the performance of those duties in the
way that they could expect to be held
accountable in industry and commerce.
Many post holders go well beyond what
is required of them in carrying out their
duties. But even in a school where every
post holder carries out his/her duties in
a highly conscientious manner, the whole
nature of the posts’ system is such that
principals still carry an unreasonable
proportion of responsibility for the
management of their schools.
WORKLOAD OF PRINCIPALS UNCONSCIONABLEIn effect, in a school with 60 teachers,
all report to the principal and no other
member of staff has the authority to
either lead or manage staff. Even if
the principal’s sole function was to
lead and manage the teaching staff,
this situation would be impossible to
defend in other than extremely small
schools. Of course, the reality is that
the workload of second level principals
is unconscionable and growing by
the day as raft after raft of new
responsibilities land on his/her desk.
S/he is not only ultimately responsible
for everything that happens in a
school, as any CEO is, but s/he has
practical day-to-day responsibility for
even the most prosaic of activities –
caretaking, maintenance, fundraising,
cleaning, security and so on.
To illustrate the growing workload of
principals we need only look at the
new obligations that have appeared on
principals’ in-trays in relatively recent
times – procedures for addressing
teacher underperformance, the
implementation of the Junior Cycle
Framework, school self-evaluation, new
models for the placement of trainee
teachers in our schools, new models
for the induction and probation of newly
qualified teachers, the action plan and
procedures on bullying, implementing
the Guidelines for Mental Health
Promotion and Suicide Prevention, and
establishing and sustaining student
support teams. The instinctive rejoinder
to this is: why do they not delegate
more? But to whom can they delegate
given the structure and culture of our
school management system?
PRINCIPALS AND DEPUTY PRINCIPALS NEED TIME AND SPACE TO LEAD REFORMSIf principals and deputy principals are
to lead these and other reforms, we
must provide them with the middle
management structures and supports
essential to doing so. The reality is
that without fit-for-purpose middle
management, our schools will not be
able to deliver sustainable reform. So
we are faced with a dilemma: introduce
reforms without any real prospect of
them being sustainable or commit
to changing the way we manage our
schools and devise a management
structure that has the capacity to meet
the needs of schools.
In stating a stark case for reforming the
way we manage our schools, the current
budgetary imperatives facing the State
are not being ignored. While we may
not, at this point, be able to resource
fully a new middle management system
for schools, we must urgently devise a
new fit-for-purpose management model
for schools and, from the moment
this has been devised, all subsequent
appointments to posts of responsibility
must be made in accordance with the
new framework.
The longer we delay the construction of
a new management architecture, the
longer it will take us to reach our goal
of all schools having a 21st century
management structure in place – a
structure where each post holder is
appointed exclusively on the basis
of his/her capacity to fill the post
effectively, where each post holder has
authority and responsibility for specific
functions (functions that include
the management of other staff and
students) and is held accountable for
the way these functions are performed.
When we reach that goal we can
truly say that we have had real public
service reform in the management of
our schools.
WHAT MIGHT A 21ST CENTURY SCHOOL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM LOOK LIKE?Recently, I had the opportunity to look at
how schools are managed in New South
Wales (NSW) and to talk with teachers,
unions and management about their
system. In a sense, it was a trip down
memory lane because I had worked in
NSW for most of the ‘70s and ‘80s and
saw the system develop at first hand.
The first thing to say about the
management system in NSW schools,
both Catholic and State, is that the
management function (including the
management of staff) is shared across
a significant number of senior staff,
thus providing principals with the
time and space to take on a strategic
leadership role.
The following describes the
management system in one of the
Catholic high schools that I visited
and spoke with the principal, one of
the deputy principals, several senior
post holders and members of the
teaching and support staff. The school
"Workload of principals unconscionable. In effect, in a
school with 60 teachers, all report to the principal and
no other member of staff has the authority to either
lead or manage staff.
14 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
is coeducational and has an enrolment
of 990 students. The entitlement of
schools to middle management posts
is related to school size so not all
schools would have the same number
of management posts. Also, depending
on the size of the school, posts with
similar titles attract different salary
allowances but the detail of this is
beyond the scope of this paper.
The school has two assistant
principals (analogous to deputy
principals in Ireland) – one with
responsibility for student welfare and
the other with responsibility for the
curriculum. A team of six student
coordinators (one per year group)
report to the assistant principal for
student welfare and a team of 11
studies coordinators report to the
assistant principal with responsibility
for the curriculum. In smaller schools,
a studies coordinator would have
responsibility for more than one
subject area.
All appointments to middle
management posts are made on the
basis of capacity to undertake all
duties associated with a specific post
to a high standard. Those appointed to
these posts serve a period of probation
and, in the Catholic schools’ system,
appointments to all posts below the
level of assistant principal are made for
a five- to six- year period, though it is
open to those whose term of office is
concluding to reapply for the posts they
are vacating.
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL – STUDENT WELFAREThe assistant principal for student
welfare, as well as serving as a
member of the School Executive Team
has two key areas of responsibility:
the leadership and management of
the student pastoral care programme
and team – the six student
coordinators, the school counsellor,
and other staff as appropriate; and
the daily organisation and smooth
running of the school.
These two overarching responsibilities
comprehend, inter alia, responsibility
for the following.
Providing staff with access to
appropriate professional development
around student pastoral care.
The development and implementation
of a student leadership development
programme
Working with student coordinators
around matters of good order,
including matters such as student
behaviour, punctuality, tone of
the school, school uniform, and
attendance.
The operation of the student
discipline system – entailing
responsibility for contacting parents
in cases where suspension or other
major disciplinary action is being
considered and keeping the principal
informed on such developments as
appropriate.
Holding regular meetings with student
coordinators in order to coordinate
and support their work.
Preparing and disseminating daily
substitution rosters and daily notices
to staff and students.
Facilitating whole school and year
group assemblies and sharing
responsibility with the Assistant
Principal – Curriculum for the running
of School Assemblies.
Supervising and monitoring school
maintenance.
The coordination of school events
and the management of school’s
induction and transition programmes
– as students enter the school in
year 7 and as students move from
Junior Cycle to Senior Cycle at the
interface between years 10 and 11.
Consulting with the Assistant
Principal Curriculum regarding staffing
and timetabling matters.
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL – CURRICULUMThe assistant principal for curriculum
matters is a member of the School
Executive Team and has responsibility
for the total school curriculum,
including the co-curriculum. This covers
its content, its quality and its delivery,
and how it interfaces with staff and
students. The work of this assistant
principal comprehends the following.
The daily organisation and smooth
running of the school from a
curricular perspective.
Maintaining an overview of the needs
and content of all curriculum areas
and ensuring that the curriculum
is appropriate to the needs of all
students.
Keeping staff, students and parents
fully informed on all curricular
matters.
Leading, supervising and coordinating
the work of the studies coordinators,
chairing their regular meetings and
maintaining academic standards.
Providing leadership and professional
development for all staff in curricular,
pedagogical (teaching and learning)
and assessment matters.
Ensuring that appropriate education
programmes are available for gifted
students, English as an additional
language (EAL) students and those
with special education needs.
Leading curricular reform.
Leading the implementation,
evaluation and updating of the
school assessment policy and other
associated policies.
Ensuring the realism, validity and
reliability of all student assessment
procedures.
Ensuring that all requirements in
relation to the School Certificate
and Higher School Certificate are
observed.
Constructing an assessment calendar
for each year group, examination
timetables and supervision rosters.
The reporting and recording
procedures used for all subject areas.
The allocation of students to subject
groups and keeping staff informed
about new and departing students.
Organising the ordering of mock
exam papers.
Providing leadership and support for
studies coordinators in ensuring good
order and discipline in the classroom
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 15
and advising staff on appropriate
responses to disciplinary situations
arising in the classroom.
In consultation with the relevant
Studies and Student Coordinator
contacting parents in cases
where suspension or other
major disciplinary action is
being contemplated and keeping
the Principal informed on such
developments as appropriate.
Alternating with the Assistant
Principal – Student Welfare in the
running of School Assemblies.
Overseeing staffing and staff
planning, in consultation with the
studies coordinators.
Overseeing the construction of the
school timetable.
Maintaining an open communication
with parents regarding students'
courses of studies and any changes
that may need to be made to those
courses.
Providing relevant curriculum
information and guidance to students
and their parents as part of the
school’s transition and induction
programmes.
Motivating staff to promote amongst
students a positive attitude towards
learning and towards achieving to
their full academic potential.
Informing all staff of in-service
courses.
STUDIES COORDINATORSThe studies coordinators are
responsible for the promotion, direction
and coordination of an efficient and
effective operation within the subject
areas for which they have responsibility.
The authority of the studies
coordinators extends to those staff
members (teachers and specialised
staff) and those courses and elements
of school administration operating under
the umbrella of their specific subject
area/s. Studies Coordinators are
concerned with the quality of education
in the school. On an individual basis,
each studies coordinator is responsible
for excellence in his/her subject
department, and jointly, the studies
coordinators in collaboration with the
Assistant Principal (Curriculum) are
responsible for the school’s academic
standards. Studies coordinators are
expected to be available to teachers
to assist them to achieve the aims
and objectives of the courses they
teach and, in this context have the
following duties.
Maintaining, developing and
promoting the academic curriculum.
Providing educational leadership for
their subject area/s.
Directing and supervising the use
and maintenance of equipment and
other teaching and learning resources
within their subject areas.
Specifying curricular policy, aims and
objectives for each year group and/or
course.
Producing and maintaining teaching
programmes.
Evaluating current courses and
making recommendations for
curriculum revision.
Ensuring that all curricular
requirements of the NSW Syllabi
are met.
Assisting the School Executive in:
the timetabling of classes, the
allocation of teachers to classes, the
organisation and implementation of
assessment programmes (conveying
information and marks to students
and parents; processing and keeping
secure records of assessment
marks) and supporting and promoting
school policies around curricular
matters, e.g. homework.
Holding regular subject department
meetings and providing minutes of
such meetings to department staff,
assistant principals and principal.
Coordinating and assisting teachers
in the formulation of their teaching
strategies and assessment
procedures.
Being thoroughly aware of the manner
in which courses are being taught
by staff.
Facilitating the setting of
examinations, the marking of papers
and the computation, recording and
updating of results.
Encouraging and giving direction and
assistance to individual teachers.
Fostering a professional approach
to the teaching of their subject/s
by: keeping abreast of current
developments, maintaining relevant
text books and other instructional
materials, and drawing the attention
of staff to relevant publications, new
teaching materials/technology and
in-service training opportunities.
Facilitating the professional
development of subject department
staff.
Giving special assistance to newly
qualified teachers.
Evaluating staff working under their
supervision and assisting teachers
in relation to attendance and
punctuality.
Maintaining good communication with
Student Coordinators.
Supporting staff with student
discipline issues that occur in
classes in their subject/s area.
Counselling and encouraging
students as appropriate about course
and subject choice/change.
Maintaining accurate class lists for
all classes within their department.
"Studies Coordinators are concerned with the quality
of education in the school. On an individual basis, each
studies coordinator is responsible for excellence in his/her
subject department, and jointly, the studies coordinators in
collaboration with the Assistant Principal (Curriculum) are
responsible for the school’s academic standards."
16 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
STUDENT COORDINATORSThe Student Coordinator is responsible
to the Principal, through the Assistant
Principal (Student Welfare) for all aspects
of student welfare in a particular year
group. S/he also has responsibility for
administration and organisation for the
year group. In this role, the coordinator
has to work in close cooperation with
the class tutors and the other teachers
teaching the year group.
The Student Coordinator has specific
responsibility for the following.
Assisting the School Executive in
educational leadership through
participation in decision making
processes especially in relation to
pastoral care and welfare programmes.
Fostering a culture that enhances
educational outcomes, and
emotional, social and spiritual
development, for all students.
Engaging with studies coordinators
in establishing the conditions for
learning through pastoral care.
Modelling exemplary teaching
practice.
Supporting school staff in the
delivery of quality teaching
and learning.
Building positive partnerships
with parents/carers and the wider
community.
Having a personal interest in and
concern for all students in the year –
especially those with special needs.
Being available to students for
the discussion of their personal
concerns.
Being aware of the overall academic,
behavioural, emotional, medical
and social development of each
student, with a view to providing
assistance and guidance, and if
necessary communicating with staff
and parents.
Liaising with studies coordinators
when subject-specific issues arise.
Fostering student respect (for self,
others and property) and courtesy.
Liaising with the School Counsellor,
the Learning Support Coordinator
and appropriate external support
agencies, as appropriate.
Promoting opportunities for student
social development, at their level
of development.
Providing age-appropriate
opportunities for student leadership.
Interviewing students, where
appropriate, and liaising with
classroom teachers and relevant
studies coordinators about teaching
and learning problems.
Communicating regularly with class
tutors regarding student welfare and
administration.
Communicating with subject
teachers, as required, to discuss
student progress or needs.
Reading and checking term reports
and working with class tutors and
others to ensure a follow up process
following the issuing of term reports
Maintaining effective student
welfare records.
Monitoring student punctuality and
attendance daily and contacting
parents when necessary.
Meeting regularly with the Assistant
Principal (Welfare) and other
Student Coordinators.
WHERE TO FROM HERE?The description of the disparate
functions that need to be managed
in a school may seem over-elaborate.
Yet, in this writer’s 17-year experience
as second level principal, it very much
understates the complexity of today’s
second-level school. Regrettably,
many whose actions impinge on
the job of a school principal, lack a
real appreciation of what effective
principalship demands in 2014. From a
compliance perspective alone, schools
have their actions circumscribed by
hundreds of Department of Education
and Skills (DES) circulars (500 active
circulars on the DES website), as
well as a growing body of forms,
guidelines, procedures, legislation and
strategy documents. And ultimately it
is the Principal who is responsible for
ensuring such compliance. It is hardly
surprising to note that the number of
suitable applicants for principalship is
dwindling to the point of crisis. If we
are to improve our school management
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 17
structures, we must first understand
the nature of the task.
We need to build a consensus about
what the practice of management
means for the 21st century school.
Currently, there is real suspicion
in the education sector about the
implications of establishing effective
management structures in our schools
with many believing that doing so
would amount to implementing
something along the lines of what
Fayol, Taylor or Weber would have
advocated in the late 19th and early
20th century – with the emphasis
on division of labour and managers
‘commanding and controlling’ those
they manage. Not unreasonably,
teachers see themselves as highly
qualified professionals and fear the
imposition of ‘control systems’ that
would seriously limit their capacity
for independent professional practice
tailored to meet the needs of
individual learners. For that reason, a
flat, minimalist management approach,
with the Principal as primus inter pares
and the only member of staff with
the authority to manage others, has
become embedded in our schools.
Indeed, even in the case of the
Principal his/her capacity is seriously
circumscribed.
This flat management system may not
have presented serious difficulties in
schools delivering a relatively static
curriculum to a rather homogeneous
group of learners. But in the complex
organic organisation that is the
21st century school, where the
emphasis is not only on the delivery
of a permanently evolving curriculum
but also on the holistic welfare and
development of a student group whose
needs are changing by the day, the
need for a contemporary management
system is manifest – not a system
that focuses on ‘commanding
and controlling’ but a system that
focuses on a decentralisation of
managerial decisions, change
management, capacity building,
mentoring, empowerment, professional
discussion, teamwork and the
interdependence of all staff, the
school as a learning organisation and
the commitment and capacity of all
staff to updating continuously their
knowledge, skills and competences;
and performance management for all
staff, those who teach and those who
manage.
In the second decade of the third
millennium, effective management
not only enables the school to set
and achieve its goals but it can be
a powerful force for empowering
teachers and improving their sense
of professional satisfaction at a time
when the morale of teachers is being
seriously undermined right across
Europe. It can reduce the feeling of
isolation that many teachers feel and
build collaboration among teachers
and support systems for teachers. But,
before this can be done effectively, we
need to build a clear understanding
between the Department of Education
and Skills, school management bodies
and the teachers’ unions about what
leadership and management entails in
the school context.
Our current economic situation limits
our capacity to implement a whole
new school management structure
at this point. It does not, however,
limit our ability to develop a new
management architecture nor does it
prevent us from making a real start
to reforming the way we manage our
schools by ensuring that all future post
appointments are in accordance with
the new paradigm, once it is in place.
Indeed, we could commence
immediately, in advance of the new
architecture being developed, if the
posts it is hoped will be established
to support the realisation of the Junior
Cycle Framework were to be filled
entirely on the basis of the capacity of
applicants to ‘do the job’ and if the job
specification made specific provision
for the management of staff. Those
appointed to these positions would
need to be given explicit authority to
undertake all functions associated
with their roles. And they would need
to be held accountable for carrying out
their functions by instituting a clear
per formance management process.
If a new management structure were in
place, we should be able to incentivise
current post holders to transfer to the
new system. Remember, this was done
some dozen years ago when deputy
principals who had been appointed
on the basis of seniority agreed to
take on expanded roles in return for
increased deputy principal allowances.
The implementation of a fit-for-purpose
middle management system in schools
would provide opportunities for
building leadership and management
capacity in schools. Currently, a new
principal only really gets to appreciate
what management and leadership
really entail when s/he takes on
the role. A re-imagined middle
management structure, along the lines
of what operates in NSW, would give
aspirant school leaders the opportunity
to experience the management role
at a number of levels before ever applying for a principalship. It is only
in a school that one can be appointed
CEO without having been exposed to
the challenges of management and
leadership on graduated scale before
assuming the CEO’s position and, at
that point, it really is too late to realise
that one might not be suited to such
a role.
If we insist on waiting until the
economy has recovered before we
commence to reform our school
management system, there is every
possibility that the very necessary
reforms we are currently seeking to
implement will have floundered and a
generation of young people will have
been deprived of opportunities critical
to them making the most of their lives
– in the family, in the community and in
the workplace. The time for postponing
action is well past.
Rosemary Ryan, Manager – Risk Management Services, IPB Insurance
Spring cleaning your risk register
18 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
Many of you will have received
positive reports from the
Department of Education
and Science Inspectorate for schools,
quality assurance reports on your adult
education courses and audit reports
from the Internal Auditor and the
Comptroller and Auditor General, but
can you state, with absolute assurance,
that your safety management system is
really functioning at its best?
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work
Act, 2005 requires the provision of a
safe environment for all employees
and those who may be affected by
your activities, such as students,
contractors, members of the public
and others. The implications and
consequences of not having the correct
procedures in place and not enforcing
and monitoring these procedures are
too great for all those associated with
Education and Training Boards (ETBs).
We all know that a simple, avoidable
accident can result in a serious
injury and having a robust safety
management system in place can help
prevent such accidents.
In order to help you assess the
robustness of your safety management
system, you might like to answer the
following questions:
Do you have a safety management
system in your ETB?
Does the system include a
Safety Policy and an up-to-date
Safety Statement?
Has the Safety Statement been
communicated to all employees and
do you have evidence of this?
Do you have procedures to support
employees in their duties?
Have you a safety inspection
regime operating where reports are
provided to line managers and to the
executive?
Is an audit of the safety
management system undertaken
on an annual basis?
Do you have a statutory inspection
timetabled and communicated for
the thorough examination of all lifting
equipment (lifts/hoists) and pressure
vessels such as autoclaves and high-
pressure boilers?
Do you enquire into the
Seeking reassurance on your safety management system
Rosemary Ryan, Manager – Risk Management Services, IPB Insurance
circumstances of an incident with
the objective of eliminating the
causative factor (the root cause) so
that the incident is not repeated?
If you have answered ‘no’ to any of
the questions above, then your safety
management system may not be
functioning at its best. IPB Insurance
would be happy to support you in
addressing any concerns you have
about your safety management system.
To discuss your requirements further,
please contact Rosemary Ryan,
Manager – Risk Management Services,
IPB Insurance, at:
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 19
The risk register is a valuable
management tool to support
the Executive in controlling
risk. It is a repository or database of
the key risks that could prevent the
achievement of the strategic plan of
the Education and Training Board (ETB),
and it records the current status of
these risks.
As spring approaches it is timely to
review the risk register for 2014 and
consider any new risks that emerged
in 2013. What impact has the
aggregation of the 33 VECs into 16
ETBs, or perhaps the retirement of key
employees, had on your organisation
from a risk point of view? What are the
emerging risks with the development
of SOLAS? Are there recommendations
from reports such as Inspectorate
Reports that have implications for the
ETB? Ask yourself whether new pieces
of legislation, such as the Criminal
Justice (Withholding of Information
on Offences against Children and
Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 or
the Further Education and Training
Act 2013 have implications for your
obligations and your risk register? Will
the increasing powers of new agencies,
such as the Teaching Council and the
Child and Family Agency, affect your
ETB? Perhaps there are new financial
risks that you should address?
In addition to updating the risk register
to include new risks that have emerged
over the last year, you will also need
to re-evaluate existing risks on the
register and assess whether they
are as relevant now. Risks should be
categorised from ‘very high’ to ‘very
low’ based on the level of negative
Rosemary Ryan, Manager – Risk Management Services, IPB Insurance
impact that risk would have on your
ETB should it materialise.
The controls that you implement, or
plan to implement, to manage the
different risks must be recorded on
your risk register. It will not be possible
to allocate the same level of resources
to the control of each risk. Typically
the ‘very high’ and ‘high’ level risks
will require the maximum attention;
whereas the ‘medium’ level risks are
usually reasonably well managed but
there is the opportunity to improve;
and the ‘low’ level risks need to
be monitored.
It is worth noting that it would be
considered best practice that a formal
report on the effectiveness of the
controls for ‘very high’ and ‘high’ level
risks be produced for the Board’s Audit
& Risk Sub Committee on a quarterly
basis. It is also recommended that
these risks should be a key item on
the agendas of the Executive and
the Board and that the annual report
should include a report on how well the
ETB is managing its risks.
The year 2013 was one of fluctuation
and change for the ETBs. It is timely
now to take stock and review risks so
that you can provide an up–to-date risk
register to the Internal Auditor and to
the Comptroller and Auditor General
when they come calling. If you would
like support with the review of your
risk register, please contact Rosemary
Ryan, Manager – Risk Management
Services, IPB Insurance, at:
Spring cleaning your risk register
20 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
Will the new Junior Cycle marginalise social studies?
Minister for Education and Skills,
Ruairí Quinn’s announcement
that ‘I have decided to include
Politics and Society within the suite
of subjects available to schools in the
Leaving Certificate’, represents an
exciting curriculum development1.
A decision to study a social science
subject in the final two years at school
is likely to be strongly influenced by the
experience of ideas, perspectives and
pedagogies at Junior Cycle. Thus, any
discussion of Politics and Society almost
inevitably becomes tied up with current
debates about the new Junior Cycle and
the various conversations associated
with the recently announced Junior Cycle
Student Award (JCSA).
A new focus on developing skills, for
example, communication, being creative,
working with others and managing
information and thinking, should
establish a foundation for Politics and
Society. The JC underlying principles are
also promising, highlighting, for example,
engagement and participation, inclusive
education and wellbeing. However, the
absence of an explicit commitment to
education in, for and through human
rights is disappointing as is any overt
reference to citizenship.
LEARNING OUTCOMESCareful exploration of some of the
24 learning outcomes point to the
possibilities of a solid foundation for
the new subject. Numbers 5 to 11,
in particular, suggest a learning
programme with a clear goal of
increasing social awareness.
These state:
5. has an awareness of personal
values and an understanding of the
process of moral decision making;
6. appreciates and respects how
diverse values, beliefs and
traditions have contributed to the
communities and culture in which
she/he lives;
7. values what it means to be an
active citizen, with rights and
responsibilities in local and wider
contexts;
8. values local, national and
international heritage, understands
the importance of the relationship
between past and current events
and the forces that drive change;
9. understands the origins and
impacts of social, economic and
environmental aspects of the world
around her/him;
10. has the awareness, knowledge,
skills, values and motivation to live
sustainably;
11. takes action to safeguard and
promote her/his wellbeing and that
of others2.
CHOICESHowever, some serious inconsistencies
emerge from recent decisions. The new
framework will offer three essential
subjects (English, Mathematics and
Irish). The rest of the programme
will be at the discretion of individual
schools. Students will be able to pick
and choose from a combination of
18 other subjects and short courses
(seven in 2014 and set to grow). The
breadth of choice which individual
students will face will depend on
decisions made by the school about
which subjects and short courses
to offer. Such choices will be greatly
influenced by school size; the smaller
the school the more limited the
choices. One would hope schools
would strive to offer a broad and
balanced set of options. However,
as anyone who tries to construct a
second-level school timetable – even in
a big school - quickly discovers, many
factors conspire to restrict student
choices. Chief among these can be
the subject specialisms and skill sets
of the existing teaching staff. The
availability of specialised rooms can be
a further headache.
"A new focus on developing
skills, for example,
communication, being
creative, working with others
and managing information
and thinking, should establish
a foundation for Politics
and Society."
Gerry Jeffers, Education Department, NUI Maynooth
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 21
Understandably, some subject lobby
groups have been quick to voice fears
of subject marginalisation in the
new JC. One response has been to
highlight the freedom the new regime
will offer and to point to the failure
of ‘compulsory Irish’. Professor Tom
Collins contrasts compulsion with ‘a
love of learning which he suggests,
admirably, ‘is the single most important
attribute a young person should have
acquired at the end of the Junior Cycle’.
‘Compulsion of any sort is likely to
diminish this possibility3’, he argues.
However, if we are to learn from subject
choice at Leaving Certificate level, a
utilitarian mindset and, at times, a
‘market forces’ logic can easily operate
to the detriment of educationally
wise selections. More fundamentally,
informed choices need to be based on
a foundation of basic knowledge.
Under the new arrangements, a real
concern is likely to arise from the
subjects students opt out of studying. If,
for example, large numbers decide not
to study a modern language or science,
business and other interests will be
vocal. Of particular concern, however,
is the possibility that some students
may opt out completely of what might
be broadly classed as ‘social studies’
subjects – History, Geography and the
proposed short course in CSPE.
In constructing subject choice options,
schools will face difficult dilemmas
between maximising choice and leaning
towards ‘curriculum balance’. The
situation is not helped by the 2012
decision to downgrade guidance and
counselling by altering its ‘ex-quota’
status. Experience tells us that
assisting young people at Senior Cycle
to make informed and appropriate
22 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
subject choices can be very time
consuming. One can imagine how much
more so this will be at Junior Cycle.
CORE CONCERNSIn terms of a core curriculum, the new
policy is to restrict this to English,
Mathematics and Irish. This reflects
concerns that moved ‘literacy and
numeracy’ to the top of national
priorities, particularly since 2009.
Ireland’s performance in PISA, the
programme for international student
assessment, was, according to Minister
Quinn, a ‘wake-up call’ for our school
system. Irish 15-year-olds were then
rated at 21st of the 65 participating
countries in reading literacy, 32nd in
mathematics and 20th in science. The
Minister and his department responded
rapidly and ‘literacy and numeracy’
became a priority focus. The 2012 PISA
results indicate improved scoring.
Unfortunately, ‘literacy and numeracy’
has become linked to notions of
business competitiveness and jobs
with a corresponding downplaying of
education for citizenship. This reflects
changes in wider public discourses that
centre on living in ‘an economy’ rather
than in a society; that sees people
primarily as ‘consumers’ rather than
as ‘citizens’.
In terms of the collapse of the
economy, a range of analyses
increasingly points to the deeper moral
or ethical crisis that underpinned
it. President Michael D Higgins, for
example, recently stated that “Our
existence, we must remind ourselves,
is as social beings, not as commodified
consumers without a history, incapable
of envisioning an alternative future.
Europe, he added, needed a discourse
based on the recognition that ‘our
global problems, in an ever more
interdependent world, are neither
amenable to any type of previously
tested and failed technocratic
response, nor are our challenges
merely economic. They are social,
political and cultural4.”
In such a context, it is simply
inexplicable that the Junior Cycle has
not a citizenship focused subject as
mandatory. Young people themselves
seem to be fairly clear-sighted
about what is needed. In 2011, the
Department of Children and Youth
Affairs reported on a Dáil na nÓg
consultation regarding Junior Cycle
reform. The young people who were
consulted were in agreement that four
subjects should be compulsory. As
well as English and Maths their other
two suggestions were Civic, Social and
Political Education (CSPE) and Social
Personal and Health Education (SPHE).
Unfortunately, these latter two are
proposed as optional short courses
in the new dispensation. With both
currently struggling for time, status and
recognition within many schools, it is
even more significant that the Dáil na
nÓg participants rated them so centrally.
CSPEI have written elsewhere that the lack
of public debate about the exclusion
of Civic, Social and Political Education
(CSPE) from the core curriculum of the
proposed new Junior Cycle programme
is almost as surprising as the subject’s
downgrading5. I asserted that, in the
wake of the collapse of public trust in
so many institutions in recent years,
the case for school programmes
rooted in human rights and social
responsibilities appears stronger than
ever. I went on to suggest how the
current CSPE subject also offers an
inclusive and meaningful framework for
schools to engage with the multiplicity
of issues emerging from a growing
intercultural society. Quite frankly, its
omission from the core is puzzling.
CSPE is not yet 20 years old. It was
introduced into the Junior Cycle in
the late 1990s. It differed from its
predecessor, Civics, in a number
of positive ways. An emphasis on
active citizenship was paramount.
Open classroom discussions in many
schools led to imaginative engagement
with a range of social and political
issues. 60% of the marks in the Junior
Certificate exam are currently allocated
to a report on ‘an action project’. CSPE
also laid a valuable foundation that
many teachers developed further within
the freedom of Transition Year. For
example, many projects in the Young
Social Innovators programme reflect
core CSPE concepts of human dignity,
rights and responsibilities, democracy,
law, interdependence, development and
stewardship. Ireland’s distinctive sense
of solidarity with and commitment to
people in poorer countries often finds
excellent expression in CSPE and
related development education classes.
Ironically, the need for a subject at
Leaving Certficate level like Politics
and Society becomes more obvious
when one observed how well some
students engaged with CSPE’s values,
pedagogies and challenges.’
THINKING CITIZENSIf one looks at the overall outcomes
of schooling, ‘thinking citizens’ has
to be close to the top of any agenda.
In 2007, The Task Force on Active
Citizenship, recognised schools as
‘places where people learn about
behaviour, dialogue and decision-
making as well as a range of skills,
knowledge and attributes that enable
people to act as thinking, critical,
responsible and caring citizens in
a democratic society’. The Task
Force specifically recommended the
strengthening of ‘the status and role
of the CSPE programme in the junior
cycle’. When, in 2011, Minister Quinn
launched the Irish Human Rights
Commission publication Human Rights
"Unfortunately, ‘literacy and numeracy’ has become linked
to notions of business competitiveness and jobs with a
corresponding downplaying of education for citizenship."
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 23
1 House of the Oireachtas, Dáil Debates, Parliamentary Question, Written Reply to Jim Daly TD, 28th January 2014 Ref 3949/14
2 Department of Education and Skills (2012) A Framework for Junior Cycle, Dublin: DES.
3 Collins, T (2013) ‘Compulsory History, an anathema’ in The Irish Times, 18th September 2013.
4 The Irish Times (2013) Ethics initiative to be announced by President Higgins in New Year, 17th December 2013
5 Jeffers, G (2014) Lessons in citizenship must be compulsory in The Sunday Times, 2nd February 2014.
6 Cosgrave, J, Gilleece, L and Shiel G (2011) International Civic and Citizenship Study (ICCS): Report for Ireland: Dublin: Educational Research Centre
7 Department of Education (1993) Transition Year Programmes, Guidelines for Schools, Dublin: Department of Education, p.6
Education in Ireland, An Overview,
he praised CSPE for promoting skills
vital for ‘participatory democracy and
the ability to challenge authority and
promote change’.
Two years ago, the United Nations
adopted the Declaration on Human
Rights Education and Training. This
reinforces the obligation on States to
ensure that all are educated in human
rights and fundamental freedoms. While
more and more states are moving
towards making subjects like CSPE core,
Ireland, by making the subject an optional
extra, seems to be going backwards.
SELECTIVE MEDIA COVERAGEWhen media coverage of education
for citizenship is compared with that
for literacy and numeracy, a startling
case study emerges. In 2009, as well
as taking part in the much publicised
PISA study, Ireland also took part in
the International Civic and Citizenship
Study (ICCS). This research has many
similarities with the PISA studies.
Ireland was one of 38 countries which
participated in the ICCS study. It
examined the extent to which 14-year-
olds are prepared for future civic and
citizenship engagement. There was a
close similarity between the ICCS study
questions and the content of CSPE. The
report from Ireland, published in 2011,
is based on a representative sample
of 144 schools, involving about 3,400
students, 1,860 teachers and 140
school principals - a very substantial
study. The study was managed and
overseen with the same diligence and
professionalism as PISA by the same
agency, the Educational Research
Centre in Drumcondra. The ICCS
report6 contains a wealth of data that
offer valuable insights into second-
year students’ views and knowledge.
In terms of civic knowledge, Ireland
ranked 7th.
A striking feature of official and media
responses to the ICCS report was the
silence. Good scoring on citizenship,
apparently, was not news. Had the
results been poor, the headlines might
have read: ‘Schools failing students
as citizens; ‘Call for more citizenship
education’; ‘Junior cycle students
should engage more with community
groups’. But there was nothing. Good
news was no news.
Some, not unreasonably, saw the ICCS
results as a strong endorsement of
CSPE. How wrong we were! Even though
CSPE had a fragile and marginal status,
the ICCS report seemed to confirm the
subject’s value. Indeed, the distinctive
‘action project’ was regarded as ‘a
positive and innovative departure from
other Junior Cycle subjects’. Students
indicated enthusiasm for a programme
based on human rights and social
responsibilities. We know from a
range of other sources how well young
people engage with global and local
issues and the civic, social and political
dimensions of their own lives.
CROSS-CURRICULARAPPROACHESThe proposed CSPE ‘short course’
(see www.ncca.ie) maintains many
of the admirable features of current
provision but, critically, there will be
no obligation on schools to teach the
subject. In terms of the 24 statements,
an argument can be made that
some other education systems teach
citizenship as a cross-curricular topic,
infusing all subjects. The Transition
Year guidelines in 19937 observed
that ‘An interdisciplinary approach
would help to create that unified
perspective which is lacking in the
traditional compartmentalised teaching
of individual subjects’. Despite TY’s
success on many fronts, the evidence
suggests that cross-curricular work
has been very limited. A fear is that
education for citizenship will be further
diminished by becoming a box-ticking
exercise on paper whereas in reality
engagement will be reduced.
The forerunner of the current National
Council for Curriculum and Assessment
(NCCA) was the Curriculum and
Examinations Board (CEB). Early in the
1980s it proposed a broad curriculum
based on ‘areas of experiences’, with
subject variety and choice within each
area. Considering broad areas of
experiences, including ‘social studies’,
could offer the new Junior Cycle a
credible way forward and secure a fair
foundation for Politics and Society.
"Students indicated enthusiasm for a programme based
on human rights and social responsibilities. We know from
a range of other sources how well young people engage
with global and local issues and the civic, social and political
dimensions of their own lives."
24 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
INTRODUCTIONiSchoolApp is a school Mobile App,
developed by Adrian P Flynn, Deputy
Principal of St Finian’s Community
College, Swords, Co. Dublin.
It provides schools with an easy way to
communicate with parents/guardians
and it provides parents/guardians with
a convenient way to receive school
notifications and updates on all school
activities.
It can be branded for each individual
school that communicates directly with
iPhone and Android devices.
WHY DO SCHOOLS NEED ISCHOOLAPP?Currently schools have a multitude of
systems for communicating
and passing information to students
and parents. This is costly, both in
time and financial aspects, and can be
inconsistent in delivering messages
to parents and students. iSchoolApp
addresses these issues by delivering
a single portal of information, whilst
delivering cost efficiencies.
iSchoolApp addresses the following
educational needs:
Easier and more effective
communication between all
educational partners – Parents,
Students, Teachers, Board of
Management, etc.
Reducing communication costs
for schools in the form of texts,
paper, and administration. This app
could be an enabler for schools
to go paperless and also towards
redirecting funds saved into other
areas of the school and community
Time saving in limiting general
queries and calls to the school office
Aiding schools for inspections
where all educational partners have
up-to-date information on school
curriculum, school policies, school
facilities, national educational
strategies etc.
Staff, students and parents can
access both state and school
examination timetables easily
Policy and curricular information is
available on the App
Linked to Google Apps for accessing
homework
Excellent PR tool for the school
COST SAVINGSBelow is an estimate of the costs
involved in communicating to parents.
This is based on a school size of 600
students. Total Cost: €7,820 per
annum. By utilising iSchoolApp this cost
can be replaced by a nominal monthly
amount.
DUBLIN AND DÚN LAOGHAIRE EDUCATION TRAINING BOARD (ETB)Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB was the
first ETB to utilise iSchoolApp. Following
a detailed workshop explaining the
functionality and benefits of iSchoolApp,
Principals permitted the rollout of the
app and all 29 schools were live by the
end of 2013.
NATIONAL ROLLOUT PLANiSchoolApp propose to extend the
rollout to all schools in the other
ETBs nationwide. They will provide the
following to ensure a quick and smooth
rollout:
Workshops for each ETB on
iSchoolApp
Design, build and customisation of
the app for each school
Full phone & email support for
each school, along with user
documentation
Video tutorials on the app
management system
Promotional material for each school
to help get buy-in from parents and
students
A support forum targeted at parents
and students, for any app issues or
functionality questions
Access for schools to an educational
blog on the getting the optimum value
from iSchoolApp
SECURITYiSchoolApp takes system security,
data protection and system reliability
very seriously. The system is run on
five load-balancing servers to power
the apps and two dedicated database
servers (1 redundant and 1 active). A
backup of the app content is performed
daily in case of an emergency. The
system boasts a 99.9% uptime.
All data is also double encrypted and
salted, which basically means it’s
encrypted twice and then scrambled
so hacking the platform would be
extremely difficult and near impossible.
iSchoolApp & ETBI – National Rollout of App
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 25
The platform is monitored 24/7 and
each school also has the ability to
password protect the app. This ensures
that only parents/students in the
school community can access
the app.
SERVICE AVAILABILITYCoverage parameters are as follows:
Telephone support: 9:00 A.M. to
5:00 P.M. Monday – Friday
Calls received out of office hours will
be forwarded to a mobile phone and
best efforts will be made to answer /
action the call. However, there will be
a backup answer phone service
Email support: Monitored 9:00 A.M.
to 5:00 P.M. Monday – Friday
Emails received outside of office
hours will be collected; however, no
action can be guaranteed until the
next working day, unless it is a high
priority
Content Management System uptime
99.9%
COSTINGSThe costing for each school to avail of
iSchoolApp is:
One-off setup cost €249+vat
Monthly cost of €49+vat
Monthly costs include:
Unlimited free push notifications
App hosting
Access to content management
system
Free system upgrades
Dedicated customer service support
I’M INTERESTED, WHERE DO I GO?www.etbi.ie/ischoolapp/
26 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
In December 2013, the Review of
Apprenticeship Training in Ireland
was published. This had been
commissioned by Minister Quinn in
May 2013.
The terms of reference of the
Review were:
“To determine whether the current
model of apprenticeship should be
retained, adapted or replaced by
an alternative model of vocational
education and training for
apprenticeships – taking into account
the needs of learners, the needs of
employers, the needs of the economy
and the need for cost effectiveness into
the future”.
The Report indicates some of the
value of the dual models of learning
which combine workplace learning with
learning in an educational setting. This
model promotes better collaboration
between enterprises and education
and ensures that theoretical learning
in an education and training setting is
grounded in the practical experience
of working and workplace learning and
thereby promoting learning by doing.
The Report argues that the pace
of change in the knowledge society
requires better links between education
and training providers and employers in
the world of work.
The Report recommends that:
each apprentice should be employed
under an approved Contract of
Apprenticeship, no less than
two years;
the structure of the programme
should provide for more than 50%
workplace-based learning;
apprenticeships should be open
to all groups above the statutory
school leaving age;
graduates of apprenticeships should
be qualified to work autonomously
in a competent, professional and
independent capacity;
Apprenticeship TrainingReview of
in Ireland
"The Apprenticeship Council will advise on every aspect of
apprenticeship provision including programme design, entry
levels, compliance with national needs etc."
ETBI magazine Spring.indd 26 24/02/2014 14:56
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 27
legislation for apprenticeships
should be designed as an enabling
framework providing for flexible
delivery through a variety of modes;
SOLAS should continue to be
the national authority with legal
responsibility for the administration
of apprenticeships. The principle
of subsidiarity should apply
operationally with curriculum
development and programme
delivery devolved to Education and
Training Boards or high education
institutions;
apprenticeships should be enterprise
led with a key role for employers in
identifying occupational standards
and in shaping the curriculum with
education and training providers;
an Apprenticeship Council should
be established to be hosted by
SOLAS and to be enterprise led. It
is proposed that the Apprenticeship
Council should establish sectoral
sub-committees with experts,
education and training interests
etc. It is further proposed that the
apprenticeship system should be
integrated into regional structures
to be developed to facilitate
cooperation between FE, HE
and Intreo.
The Apprenticeship Council will advise on
every aspect of apprenticeship provision
including programme design, entry levels,
compliance with national needs etc.
The Council would also invite proposals
in the development and operation of
apprenticeships in occupational areas.
SOLAS, working in cooperation with
the Higher Education Authority (HEA),
will promote, plan, coordinate, fund
and monitor the implementation
of an enterprise-led national
apprentice programme at further
education level and would host the
Apprenticeship Council and its sectoral
committees. SOLAS will also provide
for the devolvement, operation and
management of FE-level apprenticeship
provision through ETBs which would
include scoping studies, curriculum
development, funding, programme
delivery and quality support. Both
SOLAS and the HEA would cooperate
in gathering market intelligence and
statistical analysis.
EXISTING APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMMESThe Report also makes
recommendations in regard to existing
apprenticeship programmes.
Review curricula as a matter
of urgency;
ensure the integration of
transversal skills;
renew minimum entry levels of
programmes;
ensure programmes are tailored to
market needs to avoid future skills
shortages;
strengthen opportunities for
progression and a master craftsman
qualification should be considered.
EXPANSION OF APPRENTICESHIPS INTO NEW OCCUPATIONSThe Report indicates that expansion
of apprenticeships into ICT, retail,
hospitality, business industry, medical,
sport and leisure programmes etc.
should be examined. Employer-led
consortia should make proposals in
this regard.
The Report notes it is critical that
multinationals and large employers
participate in new programme
development. In regard to costs, the
Report recommends that on-the-job
costs should be borne by the employer
while off-the-job costs should be borne
by the State.
Learner Recruitment and Regulation
Recruitment is to continue to be the
responsibility of the employer with a
public database of approved employers
to be created by SOLAS.
CURRICULACurriculum development should occur
on the basis of families of occupations
ensuring that core common models are
provided while allowing for additional
specialised modules. All programmes
should equip the learner for progression
to the next level.
A lead ETB or HEI (Higher Education
Institution) may be assigned
responsibility for curriculum development
but will do so collaboratively with other
trainer providers and employer groups.
ASSESSMENTAssessment will be the responsibility
of the education/training provider
and should comply with QQI
requirements and be subject to external
authentication by a panel of enterprise
and education/training providers.
INCENTIVES FOR EMPLOYERSThe Report advises that incentives
for employers should be considered
to encourage them to recruit hard-
to-reach groups. The Report also
suggests that a proportion of funding
should be held back from employers
to be paid on the basis of successful
completion. Likewise, the Report
suggests a similar approach to be
adopted for ETBs and HEIs to allow for
payment based on results.
BRANDINGThe Report acknowledges there
is a need for a significant shift in
public perception of the value of
apprenticeships and recommends
sustained long-term awareness
campaigns.
"The Report notes it is critical that multinationals
and large employers participate in new
programme development."
28 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
Student wellbeing is central
to young people’s academic
success, social competence
and enjoyment of their time in
school. Wellbeing fosters a sense of
connectedness and belonging which
encourages students to stay in school.
We know that school completion is
a predictor of long-term success in
life. Focusing attention, therefore, on
student wellbeing will pay dividends for
school staff, teachers, students and
parents. Students will then be better
placed to reach their potential.
The recently published Student Support
Teams in Post-Primary Schools (DES
2014) is being made available to
schools by NEPS psychologists. This
booklet is a guide to developing student
support teams and describes a way in
which the resources of the school can
be organised to benefit all students
and, in particular, those presenting with
additional support needs. This type
of cohesive support has been shown
to promote and protect students’
wellbeing. This booklet is not intended
as a comprehensive manual, but rather
as an aid to establishing a team or
reviewing an existing team.
The booklet complements these other
documents, designed to address the
wellbeing needs of students:
Wellbeing in Post-Primary Schools
Guidelines for Mental Health
Promotion and Suicide Prevention
(DES /DOH/HSE 2013).
The National Educational
Psychological Service (2010), A
Continuum of Support for Post-
Primary Schools: Guidelines for
Teachers and Resource Pack for
Teachers
The National Centre for Guidance in
Education (2004) Planning a School
Guidance Programme
The first two documents above highlight
the potential that schools have to
make a significant contribution to the
general wellbeing of young people and
to provide a stable and supportive
environment for all students. It is
likely that, for most, difficulties will
be short-lived and resolved with good
support and minimal intervention.
However, some difficulties that arise
in adolescence can be of a more
serious and enduring nature and
some students will require more
intensive individualised and/or long-
term support, including referral to
specialist services. These documents
together with the Student Support
Teams in Post-Primary Schools booklet
outline how schools can support
students at a school-wide level, at a
group level and on an individual basis.
They provide a framework for schools
to support students with social,
emotional or academic needs. Success
in implementing these documents is
underpinned by effective planning
and evaluation.
NEPS FOCUS ON STUDENT SUPPORT TEAMS The key to successful implementation
of a system for promoting student
wellbeing lies in taking a coordinated
school-wide integrated approach
with commitment and involvement of
staff, students and parents. It also
involves building effective inter-agency
relationships. NEPS psychologists
are available to offer support in
setting up or reviewing of student
support structures. Well developed
and managed student support
teams are central to the successful
implementation of both the WellBeing
Guidelines and A Continuum of Support
Guidelines. NEPS psychologists can
discuss and agree a programme of
work with their schools; this will include
advice on setting up or reviewing
student support teams and liaising
with other community-based services
that also have a role in mental health
promotion.
Having a well-managed student support
team in place will facilitate schools to
provide for students at the different
levels of need or continuum of need:
Support for All: focus on prevention,
effective mainstream teaching and
early identification. These systems
are available to all students and
effectively meet the needs of most
students.
Support for Some: focus on
assessment and intervention
The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) Promoting WellBeing in Post-Primary SchoolsBy Margaret Grogan, Regional Director, NEPS
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 29
process that is directed to some
students, or groups of students who
require some additional input.
Support for a Few: focus on
more intensive and individualised
supports. This level of intervention
is for the few students with complex
and/or enduring needs.
ABOUT THE COMPLEMENTARY POST-PRIMARY RESOURCE MATERIALS The Well-Being in Post-Primary Schools
Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion
and Suicide Prevention (2013) with
the poster outlining ten top actions for
promoting wellbeing, gives support for
schools on mental health promotion
and suicide prevention. The key
messages are:
Identifying and supporting students
who may be vulnerable or at risk is
central to successful mental health
promotion and suicide prevention.
Mental health promotion and the
provision of supports for vulnerable
students depend on ongoing
cooperation between schools and
the range of available services and
agencies from the education, health
and community sectors.
The content of this document is
not new and existing elements of
practice, already expected of schools,
are integrated in it. Information on
supports available to schools and on
professional development are included.
A school self-evaluation questionnaire
is also included.
A Continuum of Support Guidelines
for Post-Primary Schools (NEPS 2010)
provides an overview of the ways that
students with different levels of need
can be supported in schools, along
with practical examples of how the
continuum of support can work. The
accompanying
Resource Pack provides a number of
printable resource materials
for use in schools and is organised into
five sections:
Creating Positive Learning
Environments;
Gathering information;
In-school screening and
assessment;
Planning, monitoring and reviewing;
and
Effective interventions.
The continuum approach aims to
promote academic success, social
competence and emotional wellbeing
among students. The social, emotional,
learning and behavioural support
needs of students are very varied: all
students have general needs, some
have relatively mild or transient needs,
while a smaller number have much
more severe, complex or persistent
needs. As there is a continuum of
needs that all of us in the educational
community must address, the best
way to do this is through a continuum
of support. By providing support along
a continuum, we are matching the
needs that students present with: from
more general, short-term or simple
Student Support Teamsin Post-Primary Schools
A Guide to Establishing a Team or Reviewing
an Existing Team
interventions to support that is more
individualised, differentiated, complex
and long-term. NEPS psychologists
provide support to teachers to address
the range of learning, behavioural,
social and emotional needs of their
students.
In addition, other relevant and related
documents include:
Guidelines for Supporting Pupils
with Behaviour Emotional and Social
Difficulties An Information Guide for
Post-Primary Schools ( DES, 2013)
Developing a Code of Behaviour:
Guidelines for Schools (NEWB,
2008)
Inclusion of Students with Special
Educational Needs, Post-Primary
Guidelines, (DES, 2007)
Individual Education Plans (NCSE,
2006)
Planning a School Guidance
Programme (NCGE,DES,2004)
Learning Support Guidelines (DES,
2000)
SPHE curriculum (NCCA, 2000)
Copies of the documents have been
made available to all post-primary
schools and are available electronically
on www.education.ie
NEPS psychologists provide advice and
information. We welcome discussion
and joint collaboration with schools
regarding implementation of these
documents.
NEPS mission is to work with others
to support the personal, social and
educational development of ALL
children through the application of
psychological theory and practice in
education, having particular regard for
children with special educational needs.
"The social, emotional, learning and behavioural support needs of
students are very varied: all students have general needs, some
have relatively mild or transient needs, while a smaller number
have much more severe, complex or persistent needs."
30 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
Irish hospitality is at a crossroads
when it comes to the direction that
training for our business will take.
The sector is a bourgeoning industry
where employment has been created
during the recession despite the many
obstacles that have hindered growth.
The 9% VAT stimulus by government
has been a resounding success.
You might think that this recovery is
having a very positive effect on the
prospects of under-25s who have been
unemployed for so long. Sadly, despite
the new opportunites that are arising,
hotels cannot access sufficient trained
personnel to make a dent on the live
register figures. Instead, many hotels
are looking elsewhere to find skilled
employable candidates for the jobs in
our businesses.
Hotels, in particular, have been
adversely hit by the boom to bust
cycle. The boom saw a myriad of new
hotels adding over 25,000 new rooms
with commensurate growth in tourist
numbers which at the peak of 2007
amounted to annualised visits by over
7 million people to Ireland. Accelerated
growth led to a huge demand for craft
and skilled employees which could not
be met by the overheated domestic
economy. Many recruits to the sector
came from Europe and beyond. The
bust cycle brought about retrenchment
in services and employment leading
to a much contracted labour force.
That, however, is now on the mend and
increasing optimism prevades
our industry.
Tourism has the potential to create
many thousands of new jobs over the
next five years. There is a real prospect
that we will reach 10 million overseas
tourist visits by 2020 or before that
date. The rapid growth will create a gap
where demand for hospitality workers
will exceed supply.
The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) is
concerned that the present domestic
skills deficit will adversely affect our
core tourism offering. A key area of
concern is chef training. Hospitality
has evolved beyond hotels, pubs and
restaurants into deli counters, food
production and contract catering.
Demand for trained operatives is not
being met by the current system. While
Fáilte Ireland funds some training at
IOT level, it is confined by statute to
tourism-related enterprises. Clearly,
hospitality encompases more than
tourism so it is opportune for us to
reconfigure our approach to training for
our needs.
We are very encouraged by the
establishment of Education and
Training Boards Ireland (ETBI). We
are especially excited about the
renewed enthusiasm we have met
when discussing our issues with
local VECs, now incorporated into
ETBs. It is no coincidence that a
pilot hospitality training programme
run by Clare County VEC led to the
creation of the Council for Education,
Recruitment and Training – CERT - in
1963. It is lamentable that CERT no
longer exists. The establishment of
SOLAS, however, offers opportunity
for hospitality to be included within
its remit and bring hospitality training
into main stream alongside other
industries serviced by SOLAS.
The IHF has been lobbying hard
at political level to allow the ETBI
work in partnership with us to
establish a new era of professional
training for hospitality. The ETBs are
uniquely located close to enterprise
level where the understanding of
our issues is best understood. A
focus on pre-employment training in
partnership with industry could lead
to a new model of apprenticeships
in our sector. Earn and learn with
continual personal development
programmes and accredited training
is the only way we can esure best
outcomes for our industry. Many
non VEC training programmes have
emerged in the plc area in recent
years. Few if any of these courses
confer Quality and Qualifications
Ireland (QQI) recognised awards and
this is not a development that the IHF
would wish to be continued.
Recently the IHF convened a
stakeholder grouping of diverse
hospitality associations and the IOTI
to discuss the future of craft training
for our industry. We will continue this
work with the inclusion of the ETBI
in the new forum. I would hope that
we could develop a memorandum of
understanding with the ETBI that will
lead to a dynamic new level of training
and employment.
‘Carpe Diem’ is a motto that resonates
with the IHF. We are in a new period
of engagement and we see ETBI as an
important strategic partner in the future
success of our industry.
By Michael Vaughan, President, Irish Hotels Federation
Irish hospitality is at a crossroads
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 31
In November ETBI held our annual
Winter Administrative Staff Seminar,
hosted in the ETBI Training and
Research Centre and Killashee House
Hotel. As always, the programme was
jam-packed with interesting topics,
engaging speakers and valuable
interaction between delegates.
Thursday began with an update from
the ETB/SOLAS Project Management
Office (PMO). A presentation from Cork
ETB and what was then the Cork FÁS
Training Centre on “planning for the
transition“ then followed. “Navigating
through Aggregation” by Paddy Lavelle,
ETBI Winter Administrative Staff Seminar
CEO of Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB
(DDLETB), continued the theme of the
journey the ETB sector is taking.
Another update began in the
afternoon, this time from the Office
of Government Procurement (OGP).
The following two sessions focused
on issues specifically related to
the workplace namely, “Building
Resilience” and “Freedom of
Information” (FOI). To conclude the day
ETBI personnel presented and then
facilitated an open forum on “How we
can best support ETBs now and into
the future”.
On Friday the Seminar kicked
off with a presentation from the
Revenue Commissioners, which was
run in parallel with a session on
“Administering the new Prevention
Policies on Bullying and Harassment/
Sexual Harassment”. The Seminar
concluded with a motivational
session from Dermot McConkey.
ETBI would like to thank all who
contributed to making the Seminar
such a success.
Brenda Smyth (left) and Ann Duignan from Longford Westmeath ETB at the Winter Staff Seminar
Left to right: Paddy Lavelle CEO, DDLETB, Nessa Doyle, ETB/SOLAS PMO, Dalton Tattan, ETB/SOLAS PMO, Pat Bolger, IMPACT and Peter Collins, ETB/SOLAS PMO
Attendees at the ETBI Winter Staff Seminar
ETBI magazine Spring.indd 31 24/02/2014 14:56
32 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
Education and Training Boards
as per the Education & Training
Boards Act 2013 have prescribed
functions under section 10
‘’To plan, provide, coordinate and
review the provision of education
and training, including education and
training for the purpose of employment,
and services ancillary thereto in its
functional area’’
On 28th January 2014, The Minister
for Social Protection, Joan Burton TD,
and the Minister for Education and
Skills, Ruairí Quinn TD, published the
Irish Government’s plan to implement
the Youth Guarantee. The Irish plan
details how the Youth Guarantee will be
implemented over the course of 2014
and 2015. Overall, ETBI welcomes the
Youth Guarantee as an attempt towards
addressing the youth unemployment
crisis and creating a positive social and
economic environment for all citizens.
The Irish Youth Officers Association
(IYOA) addressed the issue of Youth
Employment and the Youth Guarantee
at its AGM in May 2013. The IYOA
in partnership with ETBI drafted
a comprehensive submission on
implementing the Youth Guarantee
through a three-tier response that
builds on the expertise of ETBs in
further education and coordination of
youth work services regionally. ETBs
are responsible for administering
approximately €40million annually to
youth work services.
In early 2013 the Minister for Social
Protection brokered an agreement
on an EU-wide Youth Guarantee. The
Guarantee aimed to ensure young
people under the age of 25 a good
quality offer of employment, continued
education, an apprenticeship or a
traineeship within four months of
becoming unemployed. In addition to
existing funding streams, the European
Council announced a Youth Employment
Initiative amounting to €6 billion for the
period 2014-2020 to support measures
throughout Europe aimed at addressing
youth unemployment and in particular
to support the Youth Guarantee.
THE KEY FEATURES OF THE ETBI SUBMISSIONETBI Programme: ETBI New Ventures – Youth Guarantee
Programme
Situation: Youth Development Hubs in towns that
have an identified need and identified
minimum youth population.
Age Group: 18 – 25
The New Ventures Programme is an
overall package which provides a suite of
programmes for young people. Research
has shown that it is challenging to find
evidence of ‘best practice ‘for youth
employment programmes because of
the large variances in the population
being targeted. Factors such as level
of education, socioeconomic group,
ethnicity, gender, criminal history are all
implicating factors.
The New Ventures programme aims to
provide for a diverse youth population
that are not in employment, education
or training. It recognises that some
young people will have higher
educational attainment than others
and therefore may not require further
education but that their needs may
be of more motivational, personal
development and confidence-building
in nature.
The inclusion of Youth Work in the New
Ventures programme differentiates it
from Youthreach, BTEI and other further
education options. It complements it
by providing a mentoring and coaching
function for the young person and
incorporates their individual needs
and personal development. It also
allows for a tailoring of services to
meet young people’s needs whereby a
young person may acquire access to
accredited training or may need a more
comprehensive approach.
Youth Work promotes leadership,
personal development and active
citizenship and is part of the
education continuum.
The Key Features of the ETBI
programme are
Guidance & Mentoring
Incorporation of personal
development
Provision of training
Access to Literacy & Numeracy
Support where required
Job placement
Active citizenship
Youth innovation/entrepreneurship
The Youth Guarantee
By Ruth Griffin, Cork ETB and Chairperson, Irish Youth Officers Association
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 33
It must be recognised that a three-year
programme may not be what all young
people require; therefore individual
elements therein can stand on their
own as short-term interventions.
In delivering this programme a multi-
agency approach would be adopted
both giving and bringing added
value to existing courses being run
through the Sports Partnerships,
GAA, FAI, Coillte, Teagasc etc. who
may have expertise in areas of
interest to young people but do not
have the capacity or knowledge to
facilitate or deliver a developmental
programme underpinned youth work
methodologies. At a time when social
cohesion is at a tipping point it is
imperative that we invest in these
community-based social services
to empower our young people to
be active and socially responsible
citizens throughout all stages of
their lives.
WHAT NEXT?The Government’s Youth Guarantee
Implementation Plan which was
launched at the end of January and
subsequently submitted to Europe
aims to maximise the return from
existing structures, and build on
existing programmes. Among the new
measures are:
The Intreo process will prioritise
young people under 25 for case-
officer support and personal
progression planning
Reduce the threshold (in terms
of duration of unemployment) for
JobsPlus eligibility from 12 months
to 4 months in the case of people
aged less than 25 years
An additional intake of 1,500 young
people onto the JobBridge scheme
for the most disadvantaged young
people
Ensuring that 1,000 places on
the Tús employment scheme are
targeted at young people
Ring-fencing a minimum of 2,000
training places for under-25s on the
Momentum programme
A provision of €46 million was made
in Budget 2014, across a number
of Government Departments. In all,
between existing and European funding,
the Government will now spend more
than €500 million this year on youth
employment, education and training.
While the IYOA broadly welcomes
the Government’s Plan we feel there
are other key elements from the
ETBI proposal which hold merit and
should be considered as an innovative
response and opportunity for engaging
with the under-25s. The ETBI proposal
firmly endorsed the importance
of the role of youth work in the
implementation of the Youth Guarantee
and it is disappointing there is no
explicit reference to Youth Work therein.
The functions of the ETBs in the
Education and Training Board Act clearly
states under Section 10 to
"(i) support the provision, co-ordination,
administration and assessment of
youth work services in its functional
area and provide such information as
may be requested by the Minister for
Children and Youth Affairs in relation to
such support."
ETBs have a key role in both second-
chance education and non-formal
education through the management
of Youthreach but also in supporting
the administration and coordination
of youth work services. ETBs are
also leaders in the field of further
education, community education,
literacy and numeracy. It is therefore
timely and appropriate that the new
ETBs in partnership with the respective
community and youth organisations
embrace the opportunity of creating
employment opportunities and new
futures for young people.
REFERENCESwww.welfare.ie/en/
downloads/Youth-Guarantee-
Implementation-Plan.pdf
www.welfare.ie/en/downloads/
OECD-Report-Options-for-an-Irish-Youth-
Guarantee.pdf
For a full copy of the ETBI Youth
Guarantee submission contact:
Twitter: @gralshruth
34 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
INTRODUCTION Arising from concerns about the
extent to which those providing public
services, in particular Services of
General Interest (SGIs), lack the
competences1 essential to doing so
effectively, the European Centre of
Employers and Enterprises providing
Public services (CEEP) and the
European Federation of Education
Employers (EFEE) is currently in the
process of completing a research
project entitled: Matching Education
with the Needs of Public Services –
Challenges for Policy and Practice.
ETBI, as a member of EFEE, was part
of the project’s steering group. Results
of the research were presented at
a European Conference organised
jointly by EFEE and CEEP in January in
Brussels2.
The term 'services of general interest'
remains largely undefined. However,
there is general agreement that it
refers to services such as transport,
postal services, water, waste disposal,
energy, telecommunications, education,
health and welfare3.
The research project, which was
launched in February 2013,
was motivated by a number of
considerations. The Europe 2020
Strategy has set a target of 75% of
20- to 64-year olds being employed
by 2020. Yet, according to CEEP’s
’Pulse of Public Services‘4 published in
November 2013, finding workers with
the appropriate skillset is among the
top three challenges faced by public
services; indeed, it is seen as the most
significant challenge that is not linked
to the effects of the economic crisis.
From another perspective, the cost to
the European Union of youth not finding
work is enormous, with one estimate
putting the annual cost of NEETs (Young
People Not in Education, Employment
or Training) at €153 billion5 and that is
without having regard for the longer-
term costs to the individual and society
of these young people not getting their
lives off to ‘a positive start’.
A further consideration is the fact that
these public services employ around
65 million people and serve more
than 500 million citizens in Europe. To
provide these services, public service
providers invest more than €500bn
into the economy, some 22% of total
investment in 2010. Public service
providers contribute significantly not
only to economic activity but also to the
wellbeing of EU citizens. Indeed, given
the extent to which public services
meet the core needs of citizens, as
compared with needs and wants met
by industry and commerce generally, it
may be concluded that they play a role
in quality assuring the citizens’ quality
of life that is significantly greater than
their proportion of GDP might suggest.
The final report on the project is
currently being prepared and, once
it is published, it will be available on
the ETBI website. Consequently, this
article does not purport to document
definitively the research findings.
Rather, it seeks to identify and interpret
some of the key themes that emerged
over the course of the research project.
STRUCTURE OF RESEARCH PROJECT The research project involved a
literature review, some 40 interviews
with persons responsible for managing
and building the capacity of public
servants and two seminars (one
of which was hosted by ETBI in
Piper’s Hill) during which what was
gleaned from the literature review
and the interviews was augmented
and refined. Additionally, as well as
drawing conclusions from what was
learned through the interviews and
the seminars, some 35 cases of best
practice on the part of the education
sector and public service providers in
closing the competence gap between
what is required in the workforce and
what is acquired in the course of pre-
work education were identified and
documented. This catalogue of best
practice will be included as an appendix
to the main research project report.
CONTEXTING THE PROBLEMIndustry and commerce is generally
very aware of the extent to which the
needs of its clients and markets are
constantly changing. Thus it is proactive
in building the capacity of its employees
Pat O’Mahony, ETBI Education Research Officer
Matching Education to Needsof Public Service Providers
"Industry and commerce is generally
very aware of the extent to which the needs
of its clients and markets are constantly changing."
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 35
to meet those changing needs. This
upskilling and reskilling of workers is
driven by an unambiguous imperative:
if the product or service does not meet
the needs of the market place, the
customers will purchase from those
whose products do meet their needs.
In many respects no such stark
imperative impinges on many SGIs,
where the notion of a job for life still
persists, though growth in competition
in this field is slowly changing the SGI
landscape. Significantly, however, when
it comes to education, health/social
care, public transport, local government
and public utilities, citizens often lack
the provider options that exist in the
wider marketplace for services.
Notwithstanding the absence of
significant market forces, those who
provide SGIs are increasingly aware
of the extent to which their employees
need new and enhanced competences
in order to meet the felt needs of their
21st century clients.
PUBLIC SERVICE PROVIDERS FEEL THE WINDS OF CHANGEMany SGI providers not only feel
the winds of change blown up by
increased liberalisation of the market,
globalisation and reduced funding as
a result of the global economic crisis
but they are also facing a range of
other challenges (social, regulatory
and technological) that require them to
adapt if they are to meet effectively the
needs of those they serve.
For example:
they are now being required to serve
an ageing and more diversified
customer base, many of whom
speak other than the country’s
first language and have a myriad of
religious and cultural backgrounds;
the management of change at every
level of the organisation is an ever-
present imperative;
the services being provided are much
more complex and technical than
they were previously;
workers at every level need to be
innovative, creative and flexible;
SGI providers have to compete
against other providers for the funds
or the contracts necessary to provide
their services;
workers at every level are required
to operate in new-style work
organisations where teamwork and
multitasking rather than working in
isolation on a single task is the norm;
workers need to have refined
communication skills and, in
particular, they need to be able
to use effectively ever-changing
information technologies in order to
meet clients’ needs, in particular the
growth in e-service, and;
freedom of information, client appeal
entitlements, ombudsman offices
and government appointed regulators
allow clients and the media to have
an increasingly transparent view of
how many services are administered.
IMPERATIVES FOR EDUCATORS AND PUBLIC SERVICE PROVIDERSIn this kind of world, there are two
clear education6 imperatives. Education
institutions need to provide their
graduates with the core competences
they require in the workplace and as
citizens and the capacity to be effective
lifelong learners so that they may be
capable of continually updating their
competences as the needs of the
workplace inevitably evolve. Employers
need to have systems in place to
facilitate workers continuously updating
their competences. It is not only the
consumers of public services7 that
benefit from public servants having the
appropriate competences, the public
service provider benefits by having a
more effective and efficient workforce;
and the public servant benefits through
increased job satisfaction and better
career options.
A further dimension to matching the
competences provided in educational
institutions and those required
by public servants is the need to
anticipate future skills’ needs in those
workplaces. As an SGI provider itself,
the education sector faces a two-fold
challenge. It must not only ensure
that the competences of its workforce
match the needs of its clients but
it must also ensure that those it
educates have the competences
required in the SGI workplace.
KEY COMPETENCES FOR LIFELONG LEARNING IN A KNOWLEDGE-BASED SOCIETYThere is a further dilemma in a world
where change is the only constant; it
is not possible for education providers
or SGI providers to predict exactly
what specific competences will be
required in the workplaces of the
future. Consequently, the emphasis
has switched to the provision of key
competences that provide workers with
the capacity to go on learning for the
whole of their lives so that they may be
able to adapt effectively to the changes
that will affect all aspects of their
lives – in the family, in the community
and in the workplace. Currently, at EU
level8, eight (8) key competences have
been identified (Table 1) as critical to
ensuring this ongoing adaptability and
to ensuring personal fulfilment and
development, a capacity for innovation
and productivity, social inclusion and
active citizenship. In this context, the
focus is on a holistic development of
the individual that not only delivers
a more effective workforce but also
results in a more fulfilled citizen and a
more cohesive society.
Of course, these key competences are
all interdependent, and the emphasis
in each case is on critical thinking,
creativity, initiative, problem solving,
risk assessment, decision taking
and the constructive management
of feelings.
RECOMMENDATIONS EMANATING FROM THE PROJECTIn the context of human capital in
any organisation being the key driver
of organisational effectiveness, the
36 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
research project’s findings suggest the
following recommendations to policy
makers, public service providers and
education providers:
There is need for close collaboration
between public service providers
and institutions educating those
likely to work in such enterprises
in developing and supporting the
implementation of VET and IVET
curricula and in the provision of work
placements over the course of those
education programmes.
Public service providers need to
develop rewarding career paths
for their workers and they need to
provide continuous, high-quality,
employee training and development
programmes so that all employees
have the competences essential both
to meeting the needs of their clients
and to ensuring the professional
satisfaction of the workers
themselves. In terms of training and
development, employers need to
have particular regard for the needs
of older workers. The continuous
education and development of
workers can no longer be deemed
a bonus for some categories of
employees; it must be seen as
integral to all human resource
management.
There needs to be a significant
expansion in the range of
apprenticeships available to those
interested in working for public
service providers. Also, public service
employers should give consideration
to establishing pre-employment/
apprenticeship internships for school
leavers so that they may gain an
appreciation of what is required in
public service workplaces before
taking up this kind of employment.
Public service employers should
give consideration to establishing
work-based training programmes, to
address the specific knowledge, skill
and other deficits of new employees
and to establishing programmes to
assist young employees experiencing
difficulty in managing either their
private life or their work life.
Public service employers need to
expand the amount of well-structured
workplace learning made available to
workers so that their competences
may more closely match workplace
requirements. While the vocational
aspects of the curriculum in schools/
colleges inevitably lags behind
the competences required in the
workplace, work-based learning
(apprenticeship, internship, etc.) can
compensate for this. Here, the dual
system of education and training
that operates in countries such as
Germany or Austria has distinct
merit. In the United Kingdom the work
of the sector skills councils goes
a significant way towards ensuring
that skills training is significantly
influenced by workplace needs.
Public service employers should
consider putting in place quality staff
appraisal systems and opportunities
for improving skills and competences
in the context of those appraisals,
as this approach has been shown
to improve work results and client
satisfaction.
Public service providers need to
continuously monitor and anticipate
the competences required of their
workers and the intelligence gleaned
through this monitoring should be
used to inform both the work of
education providers and the public
service providers own competence
TABLE 1
Communication in the mother tongue
Communication in another language
Mathematics and basic competence in science and technology
Digital Competence
A capacity to learn (and to take responsibility for organising one’s own learning) about whatever needs to be learned over the whole of one’s life in order to cope with change
Social and civic competences – to enable one to participate in an effective and constructive way in social and working life, entails understanding codes of conduct and customs in the different environments in which individuals operate. This is essential to working cooperatively and collaboratively with colleagues and clients
A sense of initiative and entrepreneurship – a capacity for creativity, innovation and risk taking and an ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve personal and work objective
Cultural awareness and expression – the capacity to appreciate the importance of creative expression – music, performing and visual arts, and literature
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 37
development programmes.
Public service providers (including
education providers) should
fully support and implement, as
appropriate, the 2006 European
Framework for Key Competences
for Lifelong Learning, as it marks a
paradigm change in teaching and
learning from the provision of a
static body of pre-defined knowledge
to a more dynamic and holistic
development of competences – an
approach that is consistent with the
development of lifelong learners.
The attractiveness of working in the
provision of public services needs to
be proactively promoted and public
service employers should offer
attractive internships to graduates.
Otherwise, the best graduate talent
will be attracted to industry and
commerce. The promotion of public
service provision as an attractive
career option can also be enhanced
by offering opportunities for
schools to bring groups of students
on workplace visits. To do this
effectively, public service providers
need to appreciate that they have
the potential to provide new and
interesting job opportunities for
young people.
Information and guidance systems
need to be improved to provide
reliable information and guidance
on current and future skills needs
and up-to-date job profiles for labour
market entrants.
Given the important role that
teachers play in preparing future
citizens and workers for a world
that is constantly changing, initial
teacher education is no longer a
sufficient preparation for a teaching
career. All teachers need to have
their vocational and pedagogical
competences regularly updated
through their participation in
appropriate professional
development programmes.
CONCLUDING REMARKS Public services and, in particular,
services of general interest, are
indispensable to the health and
wellbeing of both the individual and
society. And, in a world where change is
ubiquitous and perpetual, the needs of
those who avail of these public services
are constantly changing. Besides, a
whole range of other forces are driving
change in the way those who work in
the provision of public services do their
work. The winds of change are blowing
through the public service workplace
– a workplace that until relatively
recently was significantly sheltered
from the kinds of external influences
that compelled much of industry and
commerce to change or perish.
This relatively modest research project
highlights the issues facing public
service providers and the education
institutions that prepare young people
to work in the provision of public
services. It also provides a number
of practical and easy to implement
recommendations for closing the
competence gap and a catalogue
of good practice for education and
providers and public services to
emulate and, where necessary, adapt
to their own particular circumstances.
One thing is clear; the days of
education providers going about their
business without paying due heed
to the competence needs of the
workplace or the wider society are
over. Likewise, employers must play
their part in ensuring the capacity
of the education system to prepare
students adequately for life and work.
Indeed, all employers must go further
and provide work placements for those
still in education, appropriate work-
based learning for workers of all
ages; and they must facilitate their
workers’ involvement in learning,
both at work and in educational
institutions, across the length and
breadth of their careers.
Education can no longer be left
solely in the hands of the education
providers; it must involve a symbiotic
partnership between the world of work
and the school – most particularly,
but not exclusively, in relation to the
vocational dimension. There is a real
need to move forward from the ad-
hoc relationship that currently exists
in many places between education
and the workplace and to establish
clear structures and communication
channels that will enable both sides
to work together in a sustainable
partnership to ensure that education
programmes provide learners with
the competences required in the
workplace and to live fulfilling lives. In
this context, it is important to rethink
the relationship between public service
providers and education providers.
1 Throughout this article the term competence is intended to refer to the ‘knowledge, skills and attitudes’ that workers require to do their jobs
effectively and efficiently.
2 Further information can be found on the CEEP website: http://www.ceep.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=334&Itemid=147
3 http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/areas/industrialrelations/dictionary/definitions/servicesofgeneralinterest.htm
4 CEEP, Pulse of Public Services, Autumn 20134, www.ceep.eu
5 EUROFOUND, NEETS Young People not in employment, education or training: characteristics, costs and policy responses in Europe, 2012
6 In this article education is intended to comprehend both education and training.
7 The term public servant is used here to describe anyone who provides services of general interest to the public.
8 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32006H0962:EN:NOT
38 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
ETBI Standing Council visited
Arás an Uachtaráin, at the
invitation of President Higgins,
to mark the passing of the IVEA and
VECs, along with the commencement
of ETBI and the ETBs.
President Higgins and his wife
Sabina were very engaging and made
an effor t to make everyone feel
welcome. The President then gave
a thoughtful and informative speech
praising the VECs and also recalling
his past dealings with them in his
former life as a lecturer in University
College Galway. He wished the
sector well as it embarks on a
new beginning.
ETBI Standing Council visit Arás an Uachtaráin
ETBI President Noel O’Connor
responded by saying, “We are extremely
happy that you, as Uachtarán na
hÉireann, have seen fit to mark the
passing of the VECs and their national
representative body, IVEA, by meeting
with us today. We are delighted to be
here with you in Áras an Uachtaráin.”
ETBI President Cllr. Noel O’Connor (left) and General Secretary Michael Moriarty photographed with President Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 39
January 1st has come and gone,
thankfully without incident. The
seven training centres have now
been integrated into their respective
ETBs. The fear that some calamity
might appear like a millennium bug
to scupper well-laid plans has been
allayed. ETBs receiving training
centres have gained the ‘T’ of their
ETB name in the words of Paul
O’Toole, Solas CEO.
The Programme Board established by
the Secretary-General, Seán Ó Foghlú,
has been overseeing the transition
phase. There have been significant
milestones on the journey, each
achieved through the expert work of
Solas and ETB staff. The complexity of
transferring staff and processes was
understood early on and teams took
on the relevant tasks to ensure that
business continuity was protected.
Payroll, procurement, creditors,
authority levels, quality assurance and
a myriad of other processes have been
interpreted for ETBs. The Programme
Management Office has driven the
central tasks with the work and insight
of participating staff from Solas and
ETBs. I must give a special mention to
Nessa Doyle of ETBI, Water ford and
Wexford ETB and, for the time being,
DES. This work will continue and will
inform the next phase of transfers.
The critical tasks have happened in
each of the four ETBs. Payroll and HR
dominated for a while as staff moving
from Solas were accommodated on
ETB systems. Allowances to trainees
were paid on time without a hiccup.
The huge effort behind the scenes was
hidden in the absence of any visible
break in continuity.
At a recent meeting of the Adult
Further Education and Training Forum,
representatives of staff in the AFE
Transition to rewardsdomain met some of their training
centre colleagues. The discourse
was interesting to hear. ETB staff
remain concerned about the future
of their programmes, about the FET
strategy and its implications for them,
and about the effect of the training
perspective on their services and
processes. Training centre managers
expressed their view that although
the reporting may look different, the
essence of their work parallels that of
the ETBs. As we come into alignment
within ETBs, our services will begin to
adapt to the new paradigm in terms
of language, expectation and style.
The exercise to gather national FET
provision in one document will preview
a dynamic cohering impulse.
There is no doubt that the world of
FET is changing towards a new future.
As we gain a national picture of our
services, we will need to respond to
the challenge of showing the wider
community that our work produces
outcomes for our learners. Some
outcomes will relate to job skills.
Others will relate to self-esteem,
literacy and numeracy. All are
interdependent. The motivation to
learn and gain skills is closely tied
to identity, to personal agency and a
job is part of the picture. The Youth
Guarantee will test DSP and Solas
and ETBs. Placements from Intreo
will affect how ETBs operate their
courses. Target setting by government
will impact on how we design courses,
programmes and recruitment.
The challenge is to ensure that in the
midst of the change we provide the
best possible service to our learners.
They need us to professionally plan
provision, to monitor standards and
to achieve targets so they do the best
they can with our limited resources.
ETBs will rise to the challenge and
provide flexible learning opportunities
to develop skills including marketable
skills among learners.
Paddy Lavelle CEO, Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB
Michael Moriarty, General Secretary (left) with Mihnea Costoiu, Romanian Minister for higher education, scientific research and technological development
ETBI magazine Spring.indd 39 24/02/2014 14:56
40 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS
The Leonardo project seeks to
address what kind of leadership and
management is needed to achieve the
objectives of the Bruges Communique
and to reshape the landscape of
vocational education in the years
ahead to 2020. The aim of the
project is to identify and show good
leadership and management practices
and to strengthen the international
cooperation between bodies and
people engaged in the leadership of
vocational education and training.
The objectives of the partnership are
to identify, shape and develop good
management and leadership priorities
in chosen theoretic areas.
ETBI is currently participating in
a Leonardo da Vinci Partnership
Project (EULIVET) which
seeks to address the crucial role of
management and leadership in VET.
The Bruges Communique states
that, by 2020, Europe’s VET system
should be more attractive, career
orientated, innovative, accessible
and flexible than in 2010. Moreover,
a new Rethinking Education Strategy
of the EU Commission states
that educational systems need to
modernise and be more flexible
in how they operate to respond to
the real needs of today’s society.
Rethinking Education calls for a
fundamental shift in education with
more focus on learner outcomes
and the knowledge, skills and
competencies that students require.
EULIVET – European Leadership and Management in
Vocational Education and Training
EDISON -
Casting New Light on Entrepreneurship Education
Attendees at the recent EULIVET Project Meeting in ETBI
Meeting with Romanian Education Ministers
A s Vice-Chairman of the
European Federation of
Education Employees (EFEE);
Michael Moriarty, General Secretary,
was recently invited to meet the
Romanian Minister of National
Education, Mr Remus Pricopie, to
be briefed on the recent innovative
developments in the Romanian
education system.
Michael also had a private meeting
with the Minister for Higher
Education, Scientific Research and
Technological Development, Mr
Mihnea Costoiu, which addressed
how Romania’s focus on research
and innovation has attracted high-
tech investment.
Romanian Minister of National Education, Mr Remus Pricopie (left) with Michael Moriarty, General Secretary
ETBI magazine Spring.indd 40 24/02/2014 14:56
SECTION 1 | NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EVENTS ETBI SPRING 2014 41
Global development is entering a
phase where entrepreneurship
will increasingly play a
more important role. The European
Commission has emphasised that
investing in entrepreneurship education
yields one of the highest returns,
noting that entrepreneurial education
and training = growth and business
creation. Included among the many
supporting actions listed in the
Commission’s Entrepreneurship Action
Plan is encouraging the development
of entrepreneurship education …
knowledge sharing, development of
methodologies and peer mentoring
between practitioners from Member
States. The European Communiqué on
the “New Skills for New Jobs” initiative
indicates that a main area where
teacher training should be focused is
Entrepreneurship.
ETBI has become involved in a new
(October 2013-September 2015) EU-
funded (Leonardo da Vinci) transfer-of-
innovation partnership called EDISON
(Educational Diversity and Innovate
Skills On Entrepreneurship) which aims
to transfer successful experiences and
strategies in teaching Entrepreneurship
from Austria, Spain and Italy to the
national VET Associations in the
Netherlands, Ireland and the UK, in
order to address the need for more
and better training of Entrepreneurship
educators and to contribute towards
the development of a national
'Entrepreneurial Learning Pathway' in
Vocational Education and Training (VET)
in these countries.
Elements from the VET Entrepreneurs
programme “Urratsbad” in Spain and
from a Europe Skills Prize-winning
Entrepreneurship programme in Austria,
with strong links to their Chambers
and comprehensive cooperation with
employers, will be used as a source
of inspiration and learning. Special
attention will be paid to the language
needs of the modern labour market
by supporting language learning in the
workplace through the methodology
of Content and Language Integrated
Learning (CLIL) delivered by Italy.
The aims of the project are to be
achieved through transnational
partners’ meetings, online discussions,
regional and national seminars,
the development and piloting of a
teacher training course modified and
customised for each country, and the
integration of feedback and evaluation.
Among the projected outcomes are:
the establishment of a transnational
and transsectoral network on
entrepreneurship education;
the development of a flexible
1 “Entrepreneurship and Economic Development”, http://unu.edu/publications/articles/are-entrepreneurial-societies-also-happier.html
2 “Entrepreneurship as a main driver for economic growth”, http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=6368&lang=en
3 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee
of the Regions of 16 December 2008 – ‘New skills for New Jobs: Anticipating and matching labour market and skills needs’ [ COM(2008) 868 final
- Not published in the Official Journal], http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/employment_and_social_policy/eu2020/em0012_en.htm
EDISON -
Casting New Light on Entrepreneurship Education
EDISON learning programme based
on blended learning;
the development of a transnational
EDISON “Train the Trainer
Programme” for entrepreneurship
conducted in a blended learning
environment.
The project aims to have a strong
impact on the ability of teachers and
trainers to understand and teach
Entrepreneurship and, ultimately,
through a wide dissemination and
valorisation campaign, to influence
educational policy and decision makers
to incorporate an entrepreneurial
dimension into the national curriculum.
42 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 2 | NEWS
Over 2,000 entries were
submitted to the 2014 Young
Scientist Exhibition. Of these
550 were selected to showcase
recently in the RDS, Dublin.
DONEGAL ETB SECOND-LEVEL SCHOOLS SCOOPED 7 AWARDS FROM THREE OF ITS SCHOOLS:Coláiste Ailigh, Letterkenny 4 Awards
Mulroy College, Milford 1 Award
Magh Éne College, Bundoran 2 Awards
Coláiste Ailigh brothers, Eoin and Ronan
MacGaoithín from Letterkenny scooped
two awards at the exhibition including a
first in the Junior Category, “Chemical,
Physical and Mathematical Sciences”.
They sourced a liquid that would freeze
at 1 degree centigrade, and which would
change colour upon freezing point. This
was then incorporated into some “cat’s
eyes”, with the intention of alerting
motorists of freezing surface conditions.
The science and technology company,
Intellectual Ventures, are now jetting the
two innovators to Seattle, USA to develop
their Prototype Road Safety Sensor!
Chloe Bradley, a 5th year student at
Mulroy College, received the Science
Foundation Ireland Award. Chloe
investigated the nutritive value of
gorse and heather as a food source
for mountain sheep. She took on the
project last summer where she fed 27
sheep over a period of 5 weeks on a
combination of gorse, heather and hay
and her conclusions proved positive.
Magh Éne College, Bundoran was very
strongly represented at the Exhibition.
11 Projects from the College presented
their research in the RDS, putting Magh
Éne College among the top five schools
in the country for projects accepted to
the exhibition.
Two projects from the school were
Highly Commended for their work:-
1. Transition Year students Chloe
Johnston, Sonia Leahy and Aoife
Keegan for their project ‘Menu formats;
do they affect meal selections?’
2. Fifth Year students, Alannah Nic A
Bhaird, Rebecca Wymbs and Heather
McGowan for their project ‘To
investigate how the environment of a
holly tree affects the life cycle of the
holly leaf miner (Phytomyza ilicis)’.
Congratulations and well done to all
students who entered, participated and
to those who achieved award standard.
Donegal ETB Schools excel at 50th Young Scientist Exhibition!
Kerry Education and Training
Board (ETB) held an Anti-Bullying
Conference recently in the
Institute of Technology, Tralee. Over
200 students, teachers, parents and
school management representing the
8 Kerry ETB schools attended. Kerry
ETB is fully committed to stamping
out bullying in schools and have put in
place programmes and supports in all
their schools to address this issue.
Four schools showcased examples of
effective initiatives currently in place
in schools. These included student
council projects, film-making initiatives
and team structures e.g. where the
whole school is divided into house units
to develop friendships, cooperation and
mutual support.
As educationalists we must respond
to the risks our students are facing
and promote within our schools an
Kerry ETB host Anti-Bullying Conferenceenvironment of care, safety, inclusion,
and life-long learning for all, that
does not expose students to the risk
of bullying. Kerry ETB support their
students in developing the attitudes
and skills necessary to encourage
respect and kindness, conflict
resolution, problem solving skills that
promote long-term coping mechanisms.
All Kerry ETB schools have
democratically elected student
councils. Each student council
nominates 3 members to the
Kerry ETB Student Forum which
meets twice yearly. The Student
Forum recommended the
hosting of this Conference to
facilitate student dialogue and
also get an opportunity to hear
from experts in the area about
strategies to address bullying.
Five members of the Student
Forum also served on the
organising committee for this event.
Kerry ETB schools are currently
updating their Anti Bullying Policies in
line with the Department of Education
and Skills new Anti-Bullying procedures.
Dr Brendan Byrne, the keynote speaker,
provided a workshop for school
management on an effective approach
to the development of this policy.
Aisha Sharif Haassan of Tralee Community College was MC for the Anti-Bullying Conference under the watchful eye of Colm McEvoy CEO, Kerry ETB
SECTION 2 | NEWS ETBI SPRING 2014 43
DISCOVER SENSORSDiscover Science and Engineering has
collaborated with KWETB for the last
four years on the Discover Sensors
Project. Discover Sensors is piloting
new approaches to how science is
taught and learned at second level.
Nine schools and 40 teachers are using
new teaching, learning and assessment
strategies informed by international best
practice and in line with the teaching,
learning and assessment approaches
of the new Junior Cycle. Teachers use
inquiry-based science teaching and
learning to enhance their teaching and
assessment tools (including electronic
portfolios) to inform their teaching and
to continuously assess their students.
BENEFITING SCIENCE TEACHING AND LEARNINGBased on continual feedback from
participating teachers, we know finding
that teachers are actively changing
their classroom practice, decreasing
their dependence on textbooks, and
are more informed of of of of progress
through continuous assessment of
student learning. All Teachers involved
in the KWETB project are engaged and
highly committed to changing their
teaching practice. Their willingness to
participate in Continuous Professional
Development (CPD) to enhance their
students’ learning experiences is very
important and this project provides
the teachers with the opportunity to
develop their teaching and learning skills
through a blended approach of hands-on
workshops and e-learning. Key findings
from the NCE-MSTL evaluation of the
KWETB pilot include:
students being taught through inquiry
are engaged and enjoying science;
the use of technology increases
student enjoyment of science;
teachers value the community of
practice (both online and off line);
teachers benefit from developing
higher order thinking assessment
questions;
teachers have concerns about their
ability to use new technologies.
KEY SKILLSWhile our teachers are well regarded
and perform excellently within the
confines of the Irish education system,
the system operates on a centralised
education model, contains a very
descriptive syllabus, and student
results are largely based on a terminal
exam. This leads to a dependence on
teaching to the test and a dependence
on content knowledge rather than
enhancing student understanding and
appreciation of scientific concepts and
processes. Industry today is looking for
employees with a new set of skills which
focus on problem solving, collaboration,
communication, creativity, and use of
technology and media. Discover Sensors
fully supports the new Junior Certificate
approach to prepare our students to
meet the 21st century skills sought
by industry.
Discover Sensors teachers are using
inquiry to stimulate interest in science,
using sensor technology to bring science
to life, while their students are using
the Internet to record and present their
learning on a continuous basis. The key
skills of managing myself, staying well,
being creative, communicating, working
with others, and managing information
and thinking are constantly reinforced as
part of the Discover Sensors approach.
Assessment using Electronic Portfolios
Discover Sensors has developed
Scifolio (www.scifolio.ie) as an ePortfolio
assessment for student work. Scifolio
provides a simple interface for students
to upload evidence of learning, using
a variety of file types on a continuous
basis. Students also use Scifolio as
a reflective tool helping them to take
ownership of their own learning. KWETB
teachers have already registered
approximately 1,000 Junior Certificate
Science students, and each student has
been provided with a unique identifier
email address for the purpose of logging
on to www.scifolio.ie.
The State Examinations Commission
has agreed to accept Coursework
A (the 10% portfolio element of the
current Junior Certificate Science
syllabus) electronically through Scifolio.
3rd Year students in the participating
KWETB schools will submit their
ePortfolio coursework for the June
2014 examination. This is an important
By Sean Ashe, CEO of KWETB
Discover Sensors supporting the New Junior CycleSFI Discover in partnership with Kildare and Wicklow ETB (KWETB)
"Discover Sensors teachers are using inquiry to stimulate interest
in science, using sensor technology to bring science to life,
while their students are using the Internet to record and present
their learning on a continuous basis"
44 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 2 | NEWS
first step in the use of ePortfolios for
assessment at post-primary level.
A number of valuable lessons have
already been learned regarding the
implementation of an electronic
portfolio solution in schools,
from a pedagogical, technical and
assessment perspective. Not least
is the importance of securing
teacher buy-in to continuous
assessment approaches.
TEACHER CPD PROGRAMMEA comprehensive teacher CPD course
has been developed for teachers
engaged in the Discover Sensors
programme. Discover Sensors
experimented with a variety of CPD
interventions and ultimately found
that a school-based model was most
appropriate to help teachers transform
their practice. The approach is to work
at the Science Department level over
a prolonged period of time and enable
teachers to change their practice, to
reflect on it and to ultimately move
to an inquiry teaching approach. This
approach places strong emphasis on
teachers capturing their practice and
on sharing it with colleagues, both
within and outside their school.
The Discover Sensors CPD programme
is now finalised into a 28-hour course,
delivered in 8 workshops over a 2-3
year period. The www.discoversensors.
ie website contains over 300 teaching
and assessment resources along
with online teacher tutorials, teacher
workshop materials and a teacher
community of practice. Both KWETB
and Science Foundation Ireland believe
that this programme, which has been
tried and tested, can form the basis
of the proposed rollout of Junior Cycle
science from 2015 through the Junior
Cycle for Teachers (JCT) Support
Service.
"Discover Sensors experimented with a variety of CPD interventions
and ultimately found that a school-based model was most
appropriate to help teachers transform their practice"
Christy Duffy – Longford and Westmeath ETBOriginally from Dundalk, Co. Louth,
Christy was educated locally
at the local Christian Brothers
school. He is a graduate and
scholar of Trinity College in Dublin
where he completed a doctorate
in economics. Christy joined Co.
Meath VEC in 2003 and was its first
Community Education Facilitator. For
the past seven years he has worked
as part of the senior management
team in Co. Meath VEC as Adult
Education Officer. He also helped
establish the first ever Community
National School in Meath where
he was Manager, before his
appointment as CEO of Longford
and Westmeath ETB.
Recently Appointed CEOs
Colm McEvoy – Kerry ETBColm, a native of Co. Laois, has
been working in the Vocational
Education Sector since 1991.
He commenced his employment
as a teacher of Commerce and
Computers at Cavan Institute
(formerly Cavan College of
Further Studies).
In 2001 he was appointed Principal
of Cavan Institute. Following his
appointment in September 2005,
Colm began his term as Chief
Executive Officer of Co. Cavan VEC
where he remained until he moved
to his new role with Kerry ETB.
Joe Cunningham – Laois and Offaly ETBJoe was previously the Adult
Education Officer of Co. Laois VEC
since 2007 and prior to that was
a College Lecturer at the Dept.
of Business Information Systems
at University College Cork. It was
here, through the development and
delivery of programmes for mature
students, that his interest in adult
education was fostered.
Originally from near Headford in
north Co. Galway, Joe holds a B.
Commerce (Hons) and an M. Sc.
(Hons) in Information Systems from
University College Cork.
SECTION 2 | NEWS ETBI SPRING 2014 45
City of Dublin ETB (CDETB)
recently held a seminar in Dublin
Castle to consult with a wide
selection of CDETB staff about the
strategic direction of the organisation.
The seminar opened with the launch
of a short film to mark the end of
the City of Dublin VEC era. This was
followed with an inspiring conversation
with Aoife Kennedy, a sixth-year
student and Eoinlee Bley, a transition-
year student who both attend Larkin
Community College in Dublin’s inner
city. Throughout the day round-table
discussions were punctuated by
contributions from invited speakers.
These speakers included Dick Gleeson,
City Planner, Dublin City Council who
spoke on the ‘City of the future’;
Michael Donnellan, Director General,
Irish Prison Service who spoke on
‘Education as a means of social
inclusion’; James Flynn, University
Relations Manager, IBM who spoke on
‘The role of education and training in
enhancing IT’; Tony Donohoe, Head of
Education Social and Innovation Policy,
IBEC who spoke on ‘New models of
education and training’.
The seminar was closed by Fintan
O’Toole, Literary Editor of The Irish
Times. He described VECs as having
had two great vir tues: “We have
had social inclusion at the core of
what we do and we have a history of
educational innovation. We have had
to think more broadly about values and
how things work… this type of thinking
must form the basis of any vision for
our society. We want teachers who
are confident, creative and critical
who in turn make students confident,
creative and critical”. He concluded
by highlighting that confidence is gone
out of Irish society and needs to be
brought back through education.
The event was filmed and all of the
speakers’ contributions are available
under ‘ABOUT’ on the CDETB website
in a section devoted to the CDETB
Education and Training Strategy 2014-
2019. www.cdetb.ie
Inspirational speakers address City of Dublin ETB delegates at Dublin Castle seminar
Larkin Community College students Eoinlee Bley and Aoife Kennedy with their principal Aoife Kelly Gibson
46 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 2 | NEWS
It was a time of great celebration
for Coláiste na Mí, Johnstown,
Co Meath, when they received
the keys to their brand new state-
of-the-art school building during an
official handover ceremony between
the Department of Education & Skills
and Louth and Meath Education and
Training Board (LMETB).
Following the handover ceremony,
Principal Justine Hughes led her staff
and students on a historical walk to
their beautiful new building. Excitement
mounted for staff and students as
golden tickets were drawn by staff and
students with the lucky winners getting
to enter the school building first. There
were shrieks of joy from students Keith
Netufo and Wiktoria Alexander when
they realised that they had the golden
tickets. Staff and students cheered as
they entered the building. They were
followed closely by the golden ticket
winners from the staff, Áine Ní Mhíoch
Coláiste Na Mí move into their new School Building
(Teacher) and Mary Vaughan (SNA).
There were gasps and cheers from
students as they visited each room
giving a resounding thumbs-up for their
new learning environment. Students
were overjoyed on seeing the well-
equipped labs, Music Room, Home
Economic Kitchen and Art Room. The
sheer size of the bright and open
Technical Graphics, Woodwork and
Construction rooms, which have
been fitted with the most up-to-date
technology, also impressed. The
overriding opinion from both students
and parents was that it was “well
worth the wait”.
In her first address to pupils and staff
in the new secondary school building,
the Principal of Coláiste na Mí, Ms
Justine Hughes spoke of her pride
and joy on this momentous day for
the school. She said that “Our journey
together since last September is
testament to the fact that a building
does not make a school. It is the
teachers, students and parents of our
Coláiste who work together to make
the school and to ensure students
have high expectations and achieve
excellence in their exams and in life”.
Last October, just six weeks after it
opened its doors for the first time, the
school saw over 1,000 parents and
their children visit the Coláiste na Mí
Open Evening to see the students and
their teachers in action. The demand for
places in first year in Coláiste na Mí for
this coming September has resulted in
five first-year class groups being set up,
with a considerable number of students
remaining on the waiting list.
The new school building is just Phase
1 of Coláiste na Mí and it has a
capacity for 350 students. Currently,
following completion of Phase 2
Coláiste na Mí will have a capacity for
1,000 students.
SECTION 2 | NEWS ETBI SPRING 2014 47
John Lonergan, former Governor of
Mountjoy Prison, hosted an afternoon
with approximately one hundred
YouthReach students from North and
South Tipperary. This was to mark the
first time they converged under the
one umbrella of Tipperary Education
Training Board, and to celebrate 25
years of YouthReach provision.
The afternoon was held in the
Garda College in Templemore
John Lonergan helps Tipperary YouthReaches celebrate
and YouthReaches from Roscrea,
Templemore and Cappawhite were
represented.
John Lonergan described what life was
like for both inmates and employees
in a prison setting and some of the
changes that have occurred. He
also promoted the importance of
self-preservation and being involved
in sport/physical activity with
others. This, he maintained, has
positive ripple effects in terms of
gaining confidence, making friends,
understanding loss and being resilient
to what life throws at you.
The YouthReach centres would like
thank John for his time and for being
so open with the students.
Left to right: Ester Mackey (Roscrea Youthreach), Antoinette Coffey (AEO, Tipperary ETB), John Lonergan, Ciaran Kennedy (Cappawhite Youthreach), Michael O’Doherty (Templemore Youthreach)
48 ETBI SPRING 2014 SECTION 2 | NEWS
Music Generation, the U2 and
Ireland Funds’ supported
National Music Education
Programme initiated by Music Network,
recently announced that South Dublin
and Clare have been selected for
participation in the fourth and final
round of the programme. Both Clare
and South Dublin Music Education
Partnerships will receive over €400,000
each in seed funding which will
enable high quality, accessible music
education programmes to be provided
for children and young people in their
local communities. Currently, Music
Generation reaches some 15,000
children and young people across 10
counties, with today’s announcement
expected to bring a further 5,000
participants into the programme over
the next three years.
Music Generation was launched
in 2009 as a result of a €7m
philanthropic donation by U2 and
Music Generation announces South Dublin and
Clare as final funding recipientsThe Ireland Funds to support the
implementation of a national system
of local music education services, the
framework for which was developed
by Music Network. The Department
of Education and Skills will continue
to co-fund the programme with Local
Music Education Partnerships when the
philanthropic donations cease.
Minister Ruairí Quinn offered his
congratulations to Clare and South
Dublin saying, “Music Generation is
a great example of how, when we put
our heads together, we can deliver
really exciting arts in education
programmes in new and innovative
ways through partnership. Children
and young people’s creativity can
be unlocked by music. It is a core
element of education, but music also
offers much more. The development of
musical skills can help young people
to achieve their potential in the area
of ICT and computer programming. The
Department of Education and Skills
remains committed to the long-term
development of Music Generation
and will commence co-funding the
initiative with Local Music Education
Partnerships from July 2014 beginning
initially with Louth, Mayo and Sligo.”
The announcement marks Music
Generation reaching its target rollout
to 12 areas of the country 18 months
ahead of original schedule. U2’s
The Edge praised the tremendous
commitment of all partners involved
in enabling the programme’s success:
"There is music in all of us but it often
takes some lessons from an inspired
music teacher to open this world to
young people. We are very proud that
Music Generation, working with our
many crucially important local and
national partners, has so far been
able to provide high quality music
lessons to over 15,000 children
across the country.”
Music Generation Chairman, Tony Ó Dálaigh with Ella O’Keeffe from St Martins NS, Brittas, Co Dublin, trying her hand at a double bass in the National Concert Hall
Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI)Piper’s HillKilcullen RoadNaasCo KildareIreland
Phone: +353 (0)45 901 070
Fax: +353 (0)45 901 711
Email: [email protected]
www.etbi.ie
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