Meehan, Amalee ORCID: 0000-0002-1303-6040 and O’Connell, Daniel
(2025)
‘Not trendy, not cool’: the future of Catholic primary school leadership in
the Republic of Ireland.
International Studies in Catholic Education
.
pp. 1-17.
ISSN 1942-2539
Abstract
The role of the primary school principal (headteacher) in Ireland (Republic) is deeply embedded in the historical, cultural, and educational fabric of the nation. The principal serves not only as educational leader but also has a devolved responsibility to lead the characteristic spirit (ethos) of the school. Significant societal changes such as the decline in religious practice have influenced the demographic landscape, yet 88% of primary schools retain a Catholic patron and thereby a Catholic ethos. In an increasingly diverse society with rapidly falling numbers of people who identify and practice as Catholic, the possibility of recruiting principals able and willing to sustain this dual mission comes into question. This paper arises from the first large scale, mixed-methods empirical study into Catholic schools in the Republic of Ireland.
Through an examination of quantitative and qualitative data, it analyses the practices, views and experiences of primary school principals to highlight the role and reality of leading a Catholic primary school in Ireland today. Their voices were then used to extract implications for patrons and policy makers. Research results indicate that principals are largely committed and professional in their approaches to ethos leadership. However, they also indicate a mismatch between demographic realities and the largely denominational primary school
system, giving rise to leadership support and succession concerns. While the study is carried out in Ireland, it is also of interest to other jurisdictions where schools are faced with similar challenges and education systems are looking to the future of school leadership.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article (Published) |
---|---|
Refereed: | Yes |
Uncontrolled Keywords: | Principals; school leadership; primary schools; catholic schools; ethos; Ireland |
Subjects: | Social Sciences > Education Social Sciences > Teaching |
DCU Faculties and Centres: | DCU Faculties and Schools > Institute of Education DCU Faculties and Schools > Institute of Education > School of Human Development |
Publisher: | Taylor & Francis |
Official URL: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19422... |
Copyright Information: | Authors |
ID Code: | 30710 |
Deposited On: | 28 Jan 2025 10:50 by Gordon Kennedy . Last Modified 28 Jan 2025 10:50 |
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