NAPD Senior Cycle Survey
NAPD has broadly welcomed the publication of the NCCA advisory report on Senior Cycle Reform and the ministers expressed a vision for a student-centered senior cycle. As we prepare to begin negotiations on the implementation of the senior cycle it is vital for NAPD to represent the views of the membership.
I apologise that yet another survey is requested and your workload is immense, this survey will take 10 minutes and will really strengthen our position to influence the direction the senior cycle goes from this point.
A sub-committee of our national executive will commence preparation on Monday and will continue to put together the NAPD strategy to continue to influence this change and I ask that you complete this survey at your earliest convenience.
We are working to be ready for meetings with the stakeholders before the Easter break.
Many thanks
Paul Crone
Director,
NAPD
NAPD WANTS YOU! – DEPUTY PRINCIPAL MENTORS – APPLICATION NOW OPEN!!
NAPD is looking for approximately 10 experienced Deputy Principals to join its current team of volunteers who are involved with Group Mentoring.
It is hoped that by September 2022, there will be two Deputy Principal Mentors in each of the nine NAPD regions. This will allow all new deputies in a region to have access to four group mentoring sessions a year and will give them an opportunity to network within their region.
What is the structure of the Group Mentoring?
Depending on the region, and the number of new deputies each year, there will be approximately 4-8 deputies in each group.
The Mentor and the new deputies gather in Education Centres/Hotels in the region and normally begin with a lunch followed by a 2-hour meeting.
It is hoped that the two mentors in each region will work together to arrange and participate in the group sessions.
The sessions will normally take place in early October, Late November, Early February, and in April. These dates may vary depending on the region and on school calendars.
Who should apply?
If you have a wish to mentor new colleagues, share some of your experience, and want to empower them in their roles, you should consider applying for this role. It is preferred that mentors would have spent at least four years as deputy principal. Experience in previous mentoring would be an advantage but is not necessary for the role.
How will I be supported?
There will be a training session arranged on June 20/21st in Portlaoise. Overnight accommodation will be organised for the night of the 20th. There will also be an online training session in September 2022. Once you become a trained NAPD mentor you will be supported in your role by the NAPD Mentoring Co-Ordinators Mary Keane and Máire Ní Bhróithe (mentoring@napd.ie)
There will be an annual professional learning event and a twice-yearly virtual check-in with you also.
How do I apply?
Click here to complete the form and you will be contacted in late April. Only two mentors are required in each region. This may mean that we will not be in a position to train all applicants. Or scan the QR Code below:
QR CODE – APPLICATION FORM
Who do I contact if I have any queries?
Please email Mary and Máire at the following e-mail address: mentoring@napd.ie
Closing Date: Friday 25th March 2022
After a century of dogmatic rote learning, it’s time to bring in 21st-century education, Irish Times
After a century of dogmatic rote learning, it’s time to bring in 21st-century education
Opinion: Many clearly intelligent students do not excel in our rigid education system
As we emerge from the worst of the pandemic and reflect on all that we have endured over the past two years, we must ask ourselves two important questions: what have we learned, and what do we value now more so than before?
After over a century of dogmatic rote learning, it is time to bring in 21st-century education’ – NAPD symposium
After over a century of dogmatic rote learning, it is time to bring in 21st-century education’ – NAPD symposium
The theme of the symposium is ‘Senior Cycle Reform-Carpe Diem – ‘Exploring our vision for Senior Cycle’
- Contributors to include Niall Muldoon, Ombudsman for Children, Selina McCoy, ESRI, and Anne Looney, DCU Institute of Education;
- NAPD comment: “we must ask ourselves two important questions: what have we learnt about our education system in the last two years and what do we value now more so than before”
‘After over a century of dogmatic rote learning, it is time to bring in 21st-century education, according to NAPD director, Paul Crone, speaking in advance of the NAPD 2022 Symposium.
The National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) is hosting its annual Symposium today (1 March) in the Marker Hotel Dublin. The theme of this year’s symposium is Senior Cycle Reform-Carpe Diem – ‘Exploring our vision for Senior Cycle’.
There is a broad consensus in the school community that senior cycle reform needs to happen. However, Mr. Crone argues that before we can implement any reforms, we must first ask ourselves two important questions: what have we learnt about our education system in the last two years and what do we value now more so than before?
The symposium will seek to address these questions and will feature contributions from amongst others, NAPD President Rachel O’Connor, Dalton Tatton, Assistant Secretary in the Department of Education, Niall Muldoon, Ombudsman for Children, ESRI Associate Research Professor, Selina McCoy and DCU’s Executive Dean at the Institute of Education, Anne Looney. The symposium will be chaired by former Irish Independent education editor John Walsh.
Intelligent students failing to excel in rigid system
Speaking on this theme of reform, Mr Crone argues that fundamental skills such as resilience and communication are not captured by the current architecture of post-primary learning, despite the high value and demand for them in our modern world.
“Many clearly intelligent students are unable to excel in our rigid education system. The introduction of skills-based learning as an addition rather than complete alternative will allow for a more flexible system that can respond to the demands and aptitudes of students. It will focus on their skills and not their deficiencies, and value their strengths as well as improve their weaknesses.”
Vision for education
According to Mr Crone: “We have seen the successes education reform has brought us in the past, including the Leaving Certificate Applied and Junior Cycle Key Skills. We will see the success of the apprenticeship programmes in the near future. Now let us utilise this blank slate moment to implement further reforms to bolster the system.
“This requires a new vision for education in Ireland, one based on the individual, their aptitudes, and what they can bring to society. When we value each individual, we create for them an environment in which to discover their abilities and skills and flourish. This will encourage students to lead their own education and encourage independent learning.”
ENDS
The 9th Annual Creative Engagement Exhibition.
The 9th Annual Creative Engagement Exhibition will be held online March 3-5. It will be formally opened by NAPD Director Paul Crone, 9.30 March 3rd.
Creative Engagement is the longest-running arts in education programme in second-level schools in Ireland. It is an initiative of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals. The programme is part of the Creative Youth initiative which is Pillar 1 of Creative Ireland.
The event represents an important landmark in the calendar for educationalists and artists in the education sector, where schools exhibit the wide range of arts in the programme and display best practice in arts provision for young people. Against a background of a pandemic and lockdowns, the resilience of students, teachers and artists is manifest and celebrated in the exhibition.
This year again NAPD Creative Engagement has moved online to ensure accessibility for all audience members as per government guidelines. The programme has been supported by grant funding from the Department of Education and the Department of Tourism Culture Arts Gaeltacht Media and their forerunners since 2005.
To register for the event https://hopin.com/events/creative-engagement-annual-art-exhibition-46d84a96-c470-492e-ab79-80fc6c31c5ea
End.
IMPORTANT REMINDER Candidate Self Service Portal will close at 5pm Friday 11th February
In 2021, the State Examinations Commission (SEC), as part of its digital strategy, introduced the Candidate Self Service Portal (CSSP) as a one-stop-shop for a range on online services for Leaving Certificate candidates. The CSSP will be used again for the 2022 Leaving Certificate so that candidates can confirm their examination entry details and access other services such as results and appeals.
The portal opened at 12 noon on Thursday 3 February for candidates to confirm their subject entries and levels. It will remain open for this purpose until 5pm on Friday 11 February.
Can you advise these candidates it is essential that they register through the Portal as this Portal will provide students with the opportunity to confirm their subject choice and levels, to also allow future access to their results and for the later stages of the process such as the appeals application process.
Click here to login CSSP 2022.
There is helpdesk support available at 1800-111135 or 1800-111136 between 9am to 5pm until Friday 11 February. Outside of these hours you can email candidateportal@examinations.ie
Entries Section
State Examinations Commission
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