With more than 3,750 schools across Ireland participating, the country’s first-ever SNA Appreciation Day, next Thursday (26th September) is shaping up to be a huge success, with people encouraged to use the hashtag #ThankOurSNAs. 

Next week, Fórsa's Education division will officially launch SNA Appreciation Day, celebrating the crucial role SNAs play in supporting students with additional needs. The high level of engagement reflects the strong sense of community among school staff and the deep appreciation for SNAs felt by teachers, principals, and school secretaries alike. 

James Redmond spoke with Noreen O'Mahony about the origins of the day, its overwhelmingly positive reception, and its potential to mark a turning point in recognising the contributions of SNAs: “We were delighted with the response to the SNA Appreciation Day. Schools have been so positive. 

“Our colleagues on the school secretaries' branch were fantastic in distributing their packs once they came in. Principals, teachers, school secretaries and SNA members themselves have been fantastic in their response,” she said.

Fórsa has four SNA branches and are among some of the most active branches in the union.

At its core, SNA Appreciation Day is not just about a one-day celebration. It’s about fostering a deeper understanding of the integral role that SNAs play in schools and advocating for them to be treated as full members of the school community. Noreen says that the best-run schools are those where every member of staff, from the principal to the caretaker, feels valued and involved.

They continue to face significant challenges, including the dreadful hangover of 72 obligatory hours from the Croke Park agreement. Noreen is not surprised by the scale of the mobilisation of SNAs in response to this. She credits the broader SNA community for driving this effort: “I never doubted this, they're an amazing bunch. Anytime we run training, anything like that, they show up in their droves,” she says proudly.  

One of the key aims of SNA Appreciation Day is to raise awareness of the role that SNAs play in schools, particularly among parents who may not be fully aware of the work they do and that’s why parents can enter too. Noreen says this is especially important in larger schools. 

“It was just to get the parents more aware that actually there is this group of wonderful workers. They're working in our schools. We're not around that long in the grand scheme of things. So it's just to get the awareness out there. And I think parents are really appreciative,” she says. 

Fórsa is also working on the more formal recognition of SNAs through ongoing contract renegotiations with the Department of Education. The goal is to ensure that SNAs are not only appreciated by their peers and school communities but also receive the institutional recognition and support they deserve.   

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