Dealing with the dust-up of change

So many new programmes can cause upheaval in schools. Even though everyone accepts that, like a good dose of salts, changes are a necessary part of the evolution of the system, concern is growing about the need for a long-term policy for supporting innovation and implementation.

There's a new energy in second-level but, as with every spring-cleaning, change has created plenty of dust and chaos. There have been headaches for principals, teachers and students. Change is always difficult but in the day-to-day running of busy schools it can be particularly so.

According to ASTI soundings, many teachers and curriculum support teams are concerned that new programmes could lose their identity and status in the absence of ongoing support for teachers. The teachers involved in delivering the programmes change every few years. The view is that there is a need for continued provision of support services.

A welcome development was the appointment of seven business teachers and four music teachers for two years to work full-time on in-career development and support for teachers of Leaving Cert business and music. These 11 teachers are available to visit schools so they travel around instead of teachers being taken out of school for a number of days. However, many worry about what happens after two years.