On Wednesday, February 26th Alan Ó’ Ceallaigh represented the NPF on Virgin Media’s The Tonight Show. He was joined by panelists Rebecca Meehan, Michael Carrigy (FG TD), Niamh Griffin & Clare Kerrane (SF TD) to discuss the chronic shortage of services for children with special needs. Gavan Reilly hosted the show and has regularly highlighted […]
In the media re Special Education Read More »
A survey of over 550 primary school leaders has revealed that 71% believe their SET Allocations for the 2025-26 academic year are inadequate to meet their school’s needs. For the second consecutive year, Complex Needs criteria were not considered in the allocation process, with an overwhelming 83% of respondents stating that this omission fails to
With the election likely to be called for late November, the National Principals’ Forum has developed a leaflet to share with would-be politicians. Please download and print the pdf and pass it on to anyone that calls to your door.
The NPF Election Leaflet Read More »
It’s enough to make Minister Foley say (p)Ouch. The National Principals’ Forum is in disbelief that Budget 2025 has not delivered for the primary education system in any meaningful way. Free school books, free school lunches and free bus transport, as welcome as they may be for parents, will do nothing to offset the spiraling
F Grade for Education Budget Say Principals Read More »
Prioritise Education – Invest in our Children! The National Principals’ Forum publishes its lobby campaign for Budget 2025 today. Please see the Budget Proposal Poster and a Briefing Document below. Poster Briefing Document
Budget 2025 – Lobby Campaign Read More »
Several principals from the National Principals’ Forum were part of a delegation of primary principals who, on Wednesday, June 19th, made a presentation to Senators, TDs, and their officials in the AV Room of Leinster House. We laid bare the stark reality of life in our Irish primary schools. We focused on three main areas:
Primary School Principals Call for Urgent Nationwide Funding and Special Read More »
A National Principals’ Forum survey has revealed that 92% of primary schools do not have enough funding to pay for cleaning and caretaker staff. The ancillary grant, which is usually paid early in the school year, is meant to cover the costs of a secretary and caretaker. With many secretaries opting to be paid directly
Over 90% of primary schools do not enough money to pay for their ancillary staff Read More »
Signatures were collected from schools across the country to object to the removal of complex needs as a criterion for SET allocation and to rectify this with immediate effect by gathering data from schools through POD (Primary Online Database) to ascertain the level of Special Educational Needs in schools annually. The petition gained substantial cover
Media Coverage re SET Allocations Read More »
On the eve of the day of the Christmas holidays, we put together a report highlighting the farce that was the lottery system allocation of funding for a STEM grant. Principals responded in their droves and felt, quite rightly, very hard done by for giving the time for something that should just be allocated to
PE Pilot: Stop Playing Games. Fund School Properly. Read More »
The National Principals’ Forum (NPF) has unveiled findings from its latest survey. An analysis of Special Education Teacher (SET) allocations for the 2024-25 academic year reveals stark inadequacies in provision. The NPF calls for urgent reform to support children with special educational needs (SEN). An overwhelming 76.4% of principals report that their SET allocations do
