Committees

Digitial Learning – Committee Chair: Brian Doran

Welfare – Committee Chair: Shay Bannon

Leading for Learning – Committee Chair: Barry O’Callaghan

Arts & Culture – Committee Chair: Kay O’Brien

Further Education – Committee Chair: Markita Mulvey

An Coiste Gaeloideachais – Committee Chair: Feargal O Giolláin

Digital Learning

NAPD is committed to supporting School Leaders in every aspect of the important influence which Principals and Deputy Principals have on their school communities.

One of the essential aspects of this role requires School Leaders to be mindful of the potential of the effective use of ICT in school administration, communication, and most importantly Learning & Teaching.

The NAPD Digital Learning Committee is working to support School Leaders in advising and guiding them on the best implementation and utilisation of all the options that are currently open to Education from software to hardware, tablets to Desktops.

The Committee is comprised of School Leaders who themselves use a breadth and depth of technology representative of the various providers including Apple, Google, Microsoft and the various School Management Information System (MIS) providers.

Committee

  • Brian Doran
  • Chairperson

Committee Members to be confirmed

Arts & Culture Committee

The Arts and Culture Committee was set up to promote arts-in-education in schools.  Chaired by Mary Hanley the committee is composed of serving and retired Principals and Deputy Principals.  The Creative Engagement programme has been developed by the Arts and Culture Committee to achieve this. For more on Creative Engagement click http://www.creativeengagement.ie

Committee

  • Mary Hanley
  • Dermot Carney
  • Anthony Condron
  • Mick Daly
  • Brendan Flynn
  • Kay O Brien (Chariperson)
  • Paddy O’Connor
  • Patricia Hayden
  • Franics Neary
  • Derek West (Associate)

Leading for Learning Committee

Learning and Teaching (L&T) is the core business of every school and college. The main focus of the Leading for Learning committee is on student learning, the quality of that learning and the respective roles of teachers and students in that process. The committee explores innovation and creative learning in classrooms. Through a series of ongoing workshops under the direction of its Chairperson, Barry O’Callaghan, teachers and school leaders are enabled to experience the richness of engagement, discovery and learning for understanding that characterises progressive pedagogy. To enrol for these workshops go to the Professional Learning area of this website

Welfare Committee

One of the key dimensions of the NAPD Mission is “to provide support for Principals and Deputy Principals”. The Welfare Committee is a practical realisation of this responsibility. Through a series of policy templates and advice and guidance documents it offers a roadmap through the myriad areas of accountability that school leaders must respond to. These documents have been collected into the Very Useful Guide (VUG) available to members on this website. The committee meets regularly and maintains a constant output in response to members’ requests and emerging legislative, educational and social change.

The Welfare Committee would welcome additional suggestions and proposals for inclusion in the Very Useful Guide and you can contact any committee members with your suggestions.

Other areas of interest to the Welfare Committee include:

  • Taking an active role in dealing with and trying to address internet safety issues
  • Identifying workshops for National Conference with an emphasis on the well-being and self-care of principals and deputy principals
  • Developing a list of useful reading materials
  • Identifying areas for post graduate research that might be undertaken by NAPD members
  • Working with the National Executive to identify problem sources for principals and deputy principals and to assist in creating additional support strategies for membership.

Committee

  • Shay Bannon –  Chairperson
  • Cáit Breathnach
  • Sean Crowley
  • Chris Darby
  • Deborah Dunne
  • Kathy Finnegan
  • Siobhán Foster
  • Anne Gorby

  • Kieran Golden

  • John Gorman
  • Mary Keane
  • Jimmy Keogh
  • Ceola Mc Gowan
  • Kathleen O’Donovan Ryan
  • Sarah Rice
  • Damhnait Uí Argáin

The Director of NAPD, Mr Paul Crone, Deputy Director Paul Byrne  attend meetings when available.

Ms. Mary Nihill is invited to meetings as Director of the Centre for School Leadership.

Further Education and Training Committee

The Further Education and Training Committee meets regularly to review developments in this sector and to consider and address school leaders’ concerns. The Committee hosts an annual conference in the spring.

Past themes of conferences have been:

  • Putting the New Further Education & Training Sector to work for Ireland’s Future (2012)
  • Further Education Colleges – Planning for the Future (2013)
  • Realising Opportunities – A Vision for Further Education and Training(2014),
  • Delivering Further Education & Training (2015)

Provision to meet Local, National & Global Demand

  • Business and Employer Engagement (2016)

Leading Teaching and Learning in the New Context

The Committee published “Realising Opportunities – A Vision for Further Education and Training” in 2014. The vision “to create a learning environment where the number of learners availing of FET will increase and to provide purposeful up skilling and progression for learners, thus reflecting a determination to support the meeting of job creation targets” informs the ongoing work of the committee.

Committee

  • Markita Mulvey (Chairperson)

An Coiste Gaeloideachais

Feidhmíonn Coiste Gaeloideachais an NAPD ar son na scoileanna lánGhaeilge agus Gaeltachta. Tá ochtar againn ar an gCoiste agus tá ionadaithe óna hearnáid éagsúla ina measc. Bímid ag obair in éineacht le COGG, An Foras Pátrúnachta agus Gaeloideachas. Tagaimid le chéile cúpla uair sa bhliain agus bíonn ár gcruinnithe i gCeannáras an NAPD i mBÁC nó i bPort Laoise. Tagaimid le chéile do Cheardlann uair sa bhliain ag Comhdháil Bhliantúil an NAPD. Tá ionadaí againn ar an gCoiste Comhairleach um Pholasaí Oideachas Gaeltachta freisin.

Is é ceann de na dúshláin is mó atá romhainn ná soláthar múinteoirí lánoilte don teagasc agus inniúil ar an nGaeilge a fhostú inár scoileanna. Chuige sin d’eagraíomar Comhdháil Oideachais maidir leis na deacrachtaí áirithe sin Meán Fómhair 2016. Ó shin i leith tá na dúshláin tar éis méadú agus chuige sin tá leabhrán curtha le chéile againn maidir leis na buntáistí a bheith ag múineadh san earnáil seo, liosta do na scoileanna agus tuairimí ó mhúinteoirí atá ag múineadh sna scoileannna lánGhaeilge faoi láthair.

Ag an gceardlann ag an gComhdháil Bhliantúil Deireadh Fómhair 2018 d’fhéachamar ar na bealaí difriúla gur féidir linn mar scoileanna lánGhaeilge tacaíocht a thabhairt dá chéile agus comhoibriú lena chéile i bhfianaise chúrsaí oideachais atá ag síorathrú. Chuige sin rinne Róisín Ní Mhoráin Beaver – Speisialtóir Tacaíochta Oideachais le Wriggle agus Pádraig Ó Beaglaoich – Oifigeach Oideachais Iar-bhunscoile le COGG cur i láthair maidir le líonra malartaithe a chur ar fáil d’iar-bhunscoileanna lán-Ghaeilge. Táimid fós ag obair ar an líonra malartaithe seo a bheith ar fáil.

An bhliain roimh sin rinne Seosamh Mac an Iomaire, Edel Ní Arrachtáin agus Phil Fox ón tSeirbhís um Fhorbairt Ghairimiúil do Mhúinteoirí cur i láthair faoin réimse leathan tacaíochta atá ar fáil acu do na scoileanna lánGhaeilge agus Gaeltachta. Sa bhliain 2017 rinne Elaine Ní Neachtain ón CNCM agus an Dr Muiris Ó Laoire Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Thrá Lí, cur i láthair maidir le hobair fhorbartha an CNCM agus na dréacht-sonraíochtaí don tSraith Shóisearach do Mhúinteoirí.

Beidh eolas faoin gceardlann a bheith ar siúl ag Comhdháil na bliana seo i gCill Chainnigh ar fáil go luath.

Tá fóram idirlín againn gaeloideachas@napd.ie agus tríd sin bímid ag cabhrú lena chéile.