Appointment of head teachers to oversee two primary schools

2020.06.30

12 Deputy C.S. Alves of the Minister for Education regarding the appointment of head

teachers to oversee two primary schools: (OQ.171/2020)

Will the Minister advise what financial savings, if any, have been made following the appointment of head teachers to oversee 2 primary schools?

Senator T.A. Vallois (The Minister for Education):

I must emphasise that the primary aim of this new initiative is to further improve outcomes for children through formalised collaboration; it is not a cost-cutting measure. Once the models are defined, if there is any reduction in costs, the savings made will not be removed from school budgets; they will remain with the schools to reinvest in delivering the best outcomes for their children. At this stage, no financial savings have been calculated or made. Each new lead head teacher is responsible for defining the model for the partnership they lead before commencement in September, so it is too early to give a definitive answer.

1. Deputy C.S. Alves :

The Minister mentioned that if any savings were made that would not be taken out of school provision, so would that be going into the provision of student resources or staffing in classrooms?

Senator T.A. Vallois:

As I stated, each new lead head teacher is responsible for defining the model for the partnership that they lead, so it would be determined on the needs of each of those schools. There may be a requirement for staff or their might be a requirement for further resources, but, like I stated, it is too early to give a definitive answer as yet but I am happy to share that information further when I receive that.

2. Deputy R.J. Ward :

Given that each head teacher in this experiment is responsible for defining the model, how will we define the success or not of the experiment itself?

Senator T.A. Vallois:

We are constantly reviewing leadership development and models; the department runs many aspiring leader courses and professional qualifications. In terms of measuring the success or not of the pilot that we will have in place will be dependent on the outcomes for the children in those schools and the success of the leadership for those schools in terms of support for staff and also support for the children.

3. Deputy R.J. Ward :

It is just trying to get a view of how that success will be judged; will it be through level outcomes of the children, will it be via inspection, will it be via the courses decided upon, just so that everyone is clear as to what we are looking for here?

Senator T.A. Vallois:

The Deputy is aware that we have a school review framework; I am not clear whereabouts those schools come in that review framework planning. We have of course had to delay some of that review framework but ultimately it will be about the progression, not in terms of set tests or anything like that they take in the year 6 arena, but it will be based predominantly on progression but also well-being of students and the whole school and how they move forward in terms of their success as individuals.

4. Deputy M.R. Higgins:

With all initiatives like that there are costs and can the Minister tell us these new super-heads, the levels that they are going to be remunerated to?

Senator T.A. Vallois:

I do not have that definitive answer as of yet. I understand from the Director of Education that, with more responsibility, may require further funding in terms of the responsibilities of these heads, but I do not have a definitive number to provide the Deputy with at this precise moment.

5. Deputy M.R. Higgins:

Will the Minister undertake to provide that information to Members as soon as possible? Senator T.A. Vallois:

As soon as this has been resolved in terms of the lead head teachers defining the model for the partnership that they lead, I am happy to share that information with fellow States Members.

The Deputy Bailiff :

Deputy Alves , do you have a final supplementary question for the Minister?

Deputy C.S. Alves : No, thank you.