The need for on going Professional Development and Training

The research findings highlighted the benefits gained by academics in professional development and how it should be a requirement for ‘school secretaries’. The research findings also indicated that ‘school secretaries’ should be demanding this development for themselves. Attwood (2008) described how the school of educational administration networking site for school administrators in the schools in the UK was not used as much as he would like it to be. The research also uncovered a cohesive group of ‘school secretaries’ in the USA who provide the professional

development that ‘school secretaries’ want and need (Ervolina, 2008). The researcher had first hand experience of this when she visited New York in 2009 and attended a full-day in-service training on very relevant issues in relation to the work of the ‘school secretary’ to include the following

• Health and Safety Evacuation • Understanding Gangs

• Swine Flu

• Form Filling Procedures

The research findings from the comparative study in New York highlighted the professional development awards ceremony in place for ‘school

secretaries’. The researcher attended a luncheon where ‘school secretaries’ nominated by their schools from the five boroughs of New York State were presented with beautiful plaques for their outstanding achievements in their role in the school. The researcher in her report on the study to the

chairperson referred to these plaques as the ‘hallmarks of their profession’. A presentation on the history of the ‘school secretaries’ chapter of the UFT was presented and prepared by the Chairperson (Ervolina, 2008) to include historic materials and tools used by their predecessors in their role. The event was attended by both current and past ‘school secretaries’.

The training identified by ‘school secretaries’ from Phase one of the research included

• More sophisticated IT training and presentation packages • Finance

• Public Relations • Middle Management • Student Entitlements • Workshops

The training identified from a principal’s perspective for ‘school secretaries’ included

• Teamwork • Communication • Marketing

• Understanding the Methodologies of Education • Financial and Statistical Analysis

One ‘school secretary’ stated, “ I think for working in the schools and

colleges definitely we should be trained beforehand. There are so many different software packages”. This would concur with the findings for training required by ‘school secretaries’ in New York who are required to obtain a pedagogical licences before commencing employment. Ervolina (2008) described how this licence is obtained through examination.

Another ‘school secretary’ described the need for training to middle- management level where the ‘school secretary’ would then be valued and recognised for it.

“On completion of these courses that are relevant to your job and

promotion that you would be recognised for it and it would make you a more valued person in the VEC and flexible, that you could go to other centres and that you could apply your skills. I think it is important, I really do” (SM)

This would concur with the findings from the literature of the EGFSN Group (2007) who describe how the level of demand for training and education is not commensurate with the perceived need for it. They point out that one of the reasons is that individuals and business are not aware of their skills shortcomings. Jarrett (2008) describes the importance of doing radar scans of the environment to see what their competitors are doing and also to be aware of the ‘soft’ information that is coming from their workers.

Phase two of the research analysis revealed that the training in place for IMPACT members fell into three pillars.

• “The first being through the Local Partnership working groups • The second would be in the context of Trade Union Members where

we organise now with the VEC’s

• The third where we would have a significant input in training would

be in the context of the Central Forums”(A5)

The research findings did reveal the fact that if “school secretaries’ needed training on a new financial system, that IMPACT have not got into that per se “it is a place I think we should be getting into”. The findings did however indicate that if a development like that organised by Attwood (2008) was developed in Ireland that IMPACT would go behind it. The

findings also indicated that links could be negotiated and developed with a local Education Centre who provides training to academic staff but which is currently not available to administrative staff.

The findings from the interviews with principals, one school secretary and the senior official from IMPACT saw the way forward for ‘school

secretaries’ through the Performance Management Development System (PMDS). The senior official referred to how the Croke Park Agreement (2010) had identified that under the Public Service Reform (2010 –2014) that PMDS will become a feature in future developments and made reference to how this was in operation in the Civil Service “They are

actually happy with the joy that performance management brings”. The research findings with a group of three ‘school secretaries’ interviewed indicated that they did not have a good experience with the way their review was handled and saw it as “just a box ticking exercise”.

Fearfull (2005) described a vignette from the study as one that illuminates all the other points that went before it. The research findings from phase three of the study with the senior academic member of CDVEC commented on how it would be good if something similar to what was offered by the school of educational administration was offered nationally and referred to the fact that there had never been a mechanism for this to happen before that there was now through FETAC. He/she described how FETAC lends itself to this kind of training and brings National Certification to peoples efforts.

“ if I was thinking of a National Framework, and where things lie,

a ‘school administration person’ would strike me as a Level Six. At that kind of level it is a professional qualification.” (A6)

The findings further indicated the possibility of the capacity to create an award in ‘administration’ that could be done on a part-time basis over a period of time where at the end the ‘school secretary’ would received a

certificate at Level 6. The modules identified were as follows

• IT module to include the DES database • IT Presentation Skills

• Finance

• Self-Awareness • Soft-skills

The findings described how modules could be built up over time and that the programme needed to be part of a coherent overall programme. It also uncovered the possibility after completing a Level 6 Award in

‘administration’ of continuing on to a third level programme.