I’m not one for kicking the can down the line. Too often we’ve seen how not confronting an issue early one leads to reactive rather than pro-active decisions being made. While acknowledging that the mandate for the work of the INTO comes from the motions passed at INTO Annual Congress and that we have several very immediate issues in need of attention, it is imperative that the INTO General Secretary has his/her eye to the future of our union and our primary school system.

Over the next few years, I am conscious of the need for to sit down and participate in some challenging conversations. These include the future of small schools, where professional development sits within our professional realm, the role and responsibilities of school patrons and how we can best support teachers to in an era of social media and digital technologies.

Honesty and openness will be central to these conversations and an acknowledgement that all perspectives must be respected. It must also be accepted also that flexibility and choice will be central going forward to issues arising as no single solution will meet each school’s or each staff’s needs.

I am very much up to opening up a forum to support these conversations and the suggestions and ideas coming from them and then engaging with the DES to provide supports as required.