'The workload keeps increasing': Principals want action on administrative officers

POST-PRIMARY school principals are urging Education Minister Norma Foley to immediately sign off on the roll out of an administrative officer post across all schools.

The issue is top of the agenda at the National Association of Principals and Deputies (NAPD) Annual Conference which is taking place in Galway this week.

The Irish Principals’ and Deputy Principals’ Health and Wellbeing Survey for 2023 shows that 64% of school leaders have reported stress or burnout with over 73% indicating that too much time is spent on administration.

“I think the workload on principals and deputy principals has become extremely onerous, much especially over the past ten years,” principal of Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG Donal Ó Buachalla told The Echo. 

“I’m 21 years in a senior management position and the workload keeps increasing every year,” he added. 

School leaders across the country say the administrative work they undertake decreases the amount of time they have to interact and engage with their students.

Principal of Coláiste Éamann Rís Aaron Wolfe said: “Your primary role is meant to be teaching and learning, but it is not. Now it is just admin. You can’t concentrate on the core business, which is teaching and learning.”

Mr Wolfe believes the additional administrative responsibilities of a principal makes the role unattractive.

“You can see it when schools advertise for positions, they often re-advertise several times before they can actually get someone to become a principal. An administrative officer for schools is long overdue,” he concluded.