8.4.5 School autonomy

8.4.5 School autonomy

Some elements of the changes in respect of school autonomy, envisaged in the Programme for Government 2011-2016, were addressed

The Programme for Government 2011-2016 proposed changes to the autonomy of schools141 in aspects of ethos, governance, staffing, budget and curriculum. The period to which this report refers saw some progress in addressing these changes.

A key development in respect of school autonomy allowed parental and guardian preference to play an increasingly significant role in determining the patronage of new primary and post-primary schools, where these schools are required for demographic reasons. In such instances, parental preference, along with an analysis of existing provision in the relevant areas, informs decisions on the patronage of the new schools. An Online Patronage Process System (OPPS) was developed in 2018 to allow parents to have access to objective information on all patronage options available for new schools. The schools’ reconfiguration for diversity process, which seeks to transfer existing schools from denominational to multi-denominational patrons in response to the wishes of local families, is aimed at accelerating the delivery of multidenominational schools across the country and providing greater choice for parents, particularly in areas where new schools are unlikely to be established.

The introduction of the Special Education Teaching Allocation model in primary and post-primary schools in January 2017 was significant in advancing school autonomy. This new model allocated teachers to schools on the basis of the profiled educational needs of each school. One of the key principles which underpins the model is that the child with the greatest level of need should receive the greatest level of support in the school. In that regard, the removal of the requirement for a formal diagnosis enables schools to allocate their resources taking account of this principle. Aligned with this autonomy was an increased responsibility on boards of management to ensure that timetabling and other practices were consistent with the terms of Department circulars governing practice in this area.

The autonomy afforded to schools through their engagement with the Schools Excellence Fund (SEF) represented a further move towards greater autonomy. This initiative, introduced in 2017, was initially targeted primarily at schools participating in the DEIS initiative. This was the first time that schools were funded to work together on innovative solutions to locally-identified challenges and given the freedom to experiment with new teaching approaches and ways of working. The SEF enables school leaders to collaborate on ideas based on their local experience and unique perspective.

Curriculum redevelopment during this time promoted the concepts of teacher autonomy and agency, encouraged enhanced learner agency142, and placed an increased emphasis on innovation and independent learning. Greater autonomy and support for practitioners and teachers were also evident in the development of new curriculum specifications, such as the Primary Language Curriculum and new specifications for a range of Junior Cycle subjects, and the growth of online curriculum toolkits.

141 School autonomy involves the decentralising of decision-making to schools. Increasing the autonomy of schools generally involves giving greater decision-making to schools. It can enable schools to make their own decisions about aspects of their operation and work. It can also involve parents, patrons, communities, or a combination of all of these, having a greater say in the operation and work of schools (Department of Education and Skills (2015) Advancing School Autonomy in the Irish School System). 142 Learner agency refers to the feeling of ownership and control that learners have over their own learning.