Many second-level principals are working 50 to 70 hours a week, and are being forced to work during holidays because of huge increases in their administrative work following recent legislation, according to a new survey.
The survey of over 250 Joint Managerial Body (JMB) members - about two-thirds of all voluntary secondary school managers - will be presented at a school managers' conference attended by Minister for Education Mary Hanafin in Killarney tomorrow.
Two-thirds of the respondents to the survey said that principals spend between 51 and 70 hours each week on school-related work.
Nearly a third spend 10 hours or more per month dealing with student discipline matters, while up to 30 per cent spend between one and three hours each month on substance-abuse issues, the survey suggests.
It indicates that most principals do not have enough time to do their job.
They take an average of four weeks holidays during the summer, and spend on average 10 days of their mid-term, Christmas and Easter breaks at work.
Some 80 per cent of principals do not take a rest break during the morning, despite a legal requirement for them to do so, while nearly one-third of respondents said principals do not take a lunch break. Of those who did, most spend just 20 minutes eating their lunch, usually "on the hoof" or at their desks.
The JMB, which represents the majority of second-level managers, says many individuals are being discouraged from becoming principals.
This is largely as a result of the demands which new legislation governing areas such as discipline, attendance and special needs places on them. While there were on average 25-30 applications per post 10 years ago, it says that in many cases this has fallen to as few as three or four per post. The research states that unless there is significant investment, the administration of second-level schools will "simply collapse".
It says most principals spend increasing amounts of time formulating reports to boards of management, filing returns to the Department of Education and other State agencies, and overseeing building projects.
This means they have less time to deal with student discipline, an issue which is being examined by a Government task force on student behaviour at second level.
The survey also finds that:
principals are spending more time on administrative tasks and less time on leadership activities such as policy formation, school development and pastoral care;
the greatest demands on time over the year are staff management, student discipline and communication with the Department of Education;
principals feel there is a decline in discipline and an increase in bullying, with societal problems impacting hugely on the school.Nearly 80 per cent say student emotional and behavioural problems have a significant impact on their workload;
teacher/staff relations, administration and legislation are among the main difficulties and challenges facing principals.
The research recommends that every principal should be given a full-time administrative assistant, which the JMB estimates would cost between €2 and €3 million per year for its members.
This would free principals to pursue other issues such as school development and pastoral care. This could impact significantly on areas such as discipline and the general school climate.
It also calls for more planning and consultation; a greater lead-in time and more resources for Department of Education initiatives; and more training for principals in areas such as people management, finance and budgeting.
Funding for extra secretarial and caretaking staff, as well as the appointment of a project manager for school-building projects, should also be provided.