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:

rosemary.ryan@ipb.ie.

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:

rosemary.ryan@ipb.ie.

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:

ruth.griffin@corketb.ie

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: support@etbi.ie

www.etbi.ie

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