Supports for Education and Training Providers

This page is under construction. For up to date information see www.education.ie.

School Management

In general, all schools have the same management structure i.e. they have a patron, board of management and a principal teacher.

The patron is the body that establishes and operates the school and is responsible for the school’s characteristic spirit and ethos. The patron appoints the Board of Management of the school.

The Board of Management manages the school on behalf of the patron and is accountable to the patron and the Minister. The Board must uphold the characteristic spirit (ethos) of the school and is accountable to the patron for so doing. Under Section 24 of the Education Act, 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act, 2012) the Board of Management is the employer of teachers and other staff of the school.

The principal is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school, including providing guidance and direction to the teachers and other staff of the school and is accountable to the Board for that management.

Read more: Schools Boards of Management

School Governance

The Board of Management of each school has overall responsibility for school policies. There are a range of different school policies that Boards of Management will, from time to time, be involved in developing, implementing and reviewing as appropriate.

Examples include:

School Building

The Department of Education and Skills is responsible for ensuring that appropriate infrastructure is in place so that learners throughout the system can have access to a modern learning environment that is fit for purpose and will meet the needs of the curriculum that is being taught.

Employing teachers and school staff

Under Section 24 of the Education Act, 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act, 2012) the Board of Management is the employer of teachers and other staff of the school. The Board’s role as an employer includes responsibility for the recruitment and dismissal of teachers and other staff within the school, subject to relevant department circulars, employment legislation and sectoral agreements.

Missing link item!

Missing link item!

Missing link item!

Employment terms and conditions

Fixed Term Contracts

Retirement and pensions

Teacher Allocations

The Department of Education and Skills allocates staffing resources to schools. Teacher allocations are approved annually in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment.

Read more at: Allocation of Teachers to Schools

Resource Allocations

The department provides funding and additional supports to primary and post-primary schools through per capita and other grant schemes.

See the list of supports below:

Teacher supply – recruitment

Teaching Transforms is an online resource with information for anyone thinking of becoming a teacher or returning to work as a teacher in Ireland.

Digital strategy for schools

The vision of the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 is to realise the potential of digital technologies to transform the learning experience of our young people, helping them to become engaged thinkers, active and discerning learners and global citizens with skills to participate fully in society and the economy.

All students should be able to reap the benefits of the online interconnected world as an important source of information to create knowledge and problem solve and not just see the internet as merely a source of information to be ‘consumed’. Students can gain so much from learning to collaborate and create with their peers and indeed through engagement with other students around the world through online technology.

The development of collaborative, analytical, creativity, problem solving skills are critical for our young people in an increasingly digital landscape to support them in their future careers and strengthen their lifelong prospects.

The Digital Learning Framework represents one of the key supports envisaged under the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020. In implementing the Digital Learning Framework, schools and teachers are given a structure which allows them to identify where they are on the journey towards embedding digital technologies in teaching, learning and assessment, and enable them to progress in that journey.

The roll out is being supported by a range of continuous professional development resources, including national seminars and webinars. The framework is accompanied by Digital Learning Planning Guidelines which will assist in the development of a whole school Digital Learning Plan.

Statistics

The Department of Education and Skills produces a range of strategic and annual statistics on pupils, schools, teachers, pupil retention and projections, while also fulfilling substantial national and international reporting requirements. These statistics contribute to the development of policies and services to the public and to meet the needs of learners, education providers and other users of education data, nationally as well as internationally.

See also:

NEPS