School principals are “at the end of their tether” with the increased responsibilities they are facing as a result of COVID-19.
The National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) is calling for extra Government support after its members were asked to be on call across evenings and weekends in cases one of their students contracts COVID-19.
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, NAPD President Alan Mongey said members “worked extremely hard right throughout the summer” and took on a lot of responsibility to get schools open for the new term.
“They have put in massive, massive hours, whether that be evenings or weekends just to get schools open and are still continuing to do it just to keep them open,” he said.
“Now, on a Tuesday evening, you are asked to submit your number by close of business Wednesday so you are contactable in the evenings and weekends and I suppose it is the continued, added workload and burden that is being placed on school principals and deputy principals right around the country to now be on call, essentially, what looks like 24/7.
“I have no problem giving my mobile number but I would like to know what for and what level of support a school leader will be given if there is an outbreak – because certainly the email that came through had no mobile number that I could ring for support.”
School leaders will do all they can to stop the spread of COVID-19. But just received email today along with all other Principals that I am to give my mobile to Dept of Ed. to be on call in evenings and weekends in case of COVID case. Wonder can I have mobile number of someone in
— Alan Mongey (@amongey) September 8, 2020
Dept who will be on call in evenings and weekends to help me if needed!!!
— Alan Mongey (@amongey) September 8, 2020
He said principals are “at the end of their tether” following the work they put in over the summer and warned that plans to host the Leaving Cert on evenings and weekends in November will further add to the burden.
“Principals will do whatever has to be done,” he said. “But, I suppose, it is the level of expectation that is there because this is not going away.
“This is going to be in schools every week and there are going to be outbreaks in schools for the next number of months and it is going to be a continuing process.
“I have no problem giving my mobile number if I can also ring someone else in the evening, in the department, to look for support and guidance and direction in terms of what has to be done.
“There is a kind of expectation that principals and deputy principals are on call 24/7 and, even coming up with the Leaving Cert being sat in the school in November in the evenings and the weekend, I mean principals and deputy principals are going to have to be in and around those schools in the evening on the weekend to ensure the exams run smoothly.”
He said there should have been greater consultation with principals and deputy principals before any decisions were made about on-call hours or the re-arranged Leaving Cert exams.
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