3.12) Posts of Responsibility.
Principals and Deputy Principals
Eligibility and Selection
In the case of a vacancy occurring in the Principalship or Deputy Principalship, the post must be filled through open competition, following advertisement in the national press. Applicants must have a minimum of five years of whole-time teaching experience, and the selection process must be in accordance with that described in paragraphs 3.1.13 to 3.1.17 above.
Rates of Allowances
Rates of Allowance payable to Principals and Deputy Principals are determined by a schedule which categorises schools by reference to the number of approved teacher posts in the school. There are seventeen categories. The number of approved teacher posts is defined as the number of whole-time teacher equivalents allocated by the Department to the school, that is, all sanctioned ex-quota posts, all supernumerary teaching posts of a permanent nature, notional teacher allocation based on the Pupil Teacher Ratio and surplus posts or concessionary posts (subject to certain conditions). [ref. C.L. 24/98]
Assistant Principals and Special Duties Teachers.
Assistant Principal and Special Duties posts of responsibility are open to all qualified teachers on the staff of the school with a minimum of three and one years’ wholetime teaching service respectively or its equivalent and who are contracted by the school for the full school year.
The following service will reckon as a full years’ service:
Permanent, Temporary, Regular Part-time, substitute or part-time service which collectively or separately amount to a minimum of 22 weeks or 200 hours in any one school year
Terms and conditions for appointment to Posts of Responsibility in Community and Comprehensive Schools
A moratorium on appointments to Assistant Principal and Special Duties Posts took effect on March 27th 2009 and will delay any further appointments for the foreseeable future. Some alleviation of the moratorium for the school year 2010/2011 was detailed in DES CL 42/2010. This circular also gave details of a revised procedure for appointment to Assistant Principal and Special Duties Posts which may arise. It is expected that a revised appeal process will be agreed in conjunction with the new appointment procedures.
Schedule of Posts.
The Principal, having consulted the staff through the appropriate mechanism, should draw up a schedule of posts to cater for the curriculum and organisational needs of the school. The Schedule of Posts should be submitted to the Board where they may be amended or approved.
Contracts
The terms and conditions include that appointees must be furnished with contracts relating to their Post of Responsibility duties and that these contracts are duly signed.
Personal Entitlement to a Post of Responsibility
Once a permanent teacher has held an appointment to a permanent post of responsibility, that teacher gains a personal entitlement to that post. If enrolment drops, no post holder loses a post. It is only when one of the school’s post holders resigns or retires that the school will lose the post which is no longer justified by the school’s allocation of posts.
Appointments to Acting Posts
The current moratorium on appointments to Posts of Responsibility applies equally to Acting Posts which arise while a post holder is absent on approved paid or unpaid leave of absence.
In normal circumstances the Board of Management, using the same selection process as for an equivalent permanent post, may appoint a qualified teacher to carry out the duties of a Principal, Deputy Principal, Assistant Principal or Special Duties Teacher while the post holder is absent on approved paid or unpaid leave of absence and provided that the post is within the approved allocation of posts in the school..
In the case of “short term” absences of a post holder, a teacher who carries out the duties for a minimum consecutive period of one month may be paid the appropriate allowance subject to the Board of Management certifying that s/he carried out the duties for a minimum consecutive period of one month and specifying the duties. Payment of the allowance is only allowed where the post is warranted by reference to the schedule of posts of responsibility of the school and where the Board of Management certifies that the duties cannot be distributed among the other holders of posts of responsibility in the school.
Procedures for appointment to short term “acting posts” (within the period of a school year) may be the subject of local agreement between management and all teaching staff.
Payments of allowances are made retrospectively.
Adult Education Posts of Responsibility
The entitlement of a school to appoint post holders to service a part-time self-financing adult education programme is set out in CL 46/00. Provision is made for the appointment of an Adult Education Director and Assistant Adult Education Directors in accordance with the number of “enrolment hours” in the programme. The number of enrolment hours is determined by the number of people who have registered for an approved course, and in respect of whom a refund has not been issued, multiplied by the course duration.
The post of “Director of Adult Education” may be established in a school offering a part time Adult Education programme for a minimum of 1500 enrolment hours. Further posts of responsibility of Assistant Directors of Adult Education may be established with allowances at Assistant Principal and Special Duties Teacher level. The entitlement of a school to make these appointments together with the remuneration and conditions of service attaching to these posts is set out in Appendix A of CL 46/00.
Programme Co-ordinator Posts.
Provision is made to establish a post of Programme Co-ordinator in Community and Comprehensive Schools which offer any of the following programmes:
- Leaving Certificate Applied Programme
- Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme
- Transition Year
· Junior Certificate Schools Programme
The criteria, terms and conditions of appointment and the duties attaching to this post are set down in DES CL 18/02. Appointment is subject to the revised procedures for appointment to posts of Responsibility as outlined in CL 42/2010.
Particular provisions include:
- This post does not form part of the normal cohort of school posts of responsibility and lapses when none of the programmes listed above is being provided by the school.
- Provision is made for a reduction in teaching hours.
- A Post of Responsibility holder who is appointed to this post retains personal entitlement to his/her post of responsibility in the event that the co-ordinator post should lapse. A temporary appointment may be made to a post of responsibility left vacant by such appointment.
- The holder of a Programme Co-ordinator post may apply for and be appointed to a vacant SDT or AP post of responsibility. If appointed the teacher may retain the duties of Programme Co-ordinator and the higher of the relevant allowances. The post of responsibility may be filled on a temporary basis for as long as the teacher appointed to the post of responsibility is carrying out the duties of Programme Co-ordinator.
Posts of Responsibility and career breaks
Posts of responsibility falling vacant as a result of the holder/s going on career break may be filled in an acting capacity from school year to school year provided the posts are warranted by reference to the schedule of Posts of Responsibility for the school. If the school’s number of approved whole-time equivalent teaching posts has fallen, the school may lose the post(s) until the return of the teacher(s) on Career Break who may have a personal entitlement to the post(s).
The filling of such acting posts is subject to the current moratorium on appointments to Posts of Responsibility.
The period of career break is not reckonable towards the minimum qualifying period of service prescribed for appointment to Posts of Responsibility or for the calculation of “service to the school” in the criteria for appointment.
A teacher on career break is entitled to apply for any post of responsibility which occurs in the school. This is subject to the minimum qualifying service having been already completed before the commencement of the career break. It follows that post of responsibility vacancies arising should be advised to eligible teachers on career break. If her/his application is successful, it is a matter for the Board of Management, in consultation with the teacher as to whether s/he may be required to return to teaching at the end of the school year in which s/he accepts an appointment to a Post of Responsibility. Alternatively, the Board may decide to fill the post by the appointment of another teacher in an acting capacity from school year to school year, provided the post is warranted by reference to the schedule of posts of responsibility for the school.