Update on Junior Cycle dispute
Talks between the teacher unions and the Department of Education and Skills on Junior Cycle reform broke down on Tuesday, November 11th.
The unions have called on the Minister for Education and Skills to intervene to resolve the current impasse. While an offer was put to the unions during the talks process (see below), representatives from the TUI and ASTI believe the offer is not acceptable for a number of reasons, including that it involves teachers assessing and grading their own students for State certification.
Background to talks process
Following meetings with Minister for Education and Skills Jan O’Sullivan on September 3rd and October 22nd, the TUI and ASTI engaged in a talks process with senior Department of Education and Skills officials. At the talks the unions raised a range of objections to the Framework for Junior Cycle proposals. The TUI and ASTI stated that reform of the Junior Cycle must include:
- Retention of State certification for Junior Cycle.
- Guarantee of equity between schools and for students.
- Commitment to quality education experience for all students.
- Augmentation of capacity of schools to meet Junior Cycle Framework requirements.
- Maintenance of consistent standards through external assessment for certification.
- Comprehensive investment in high quality CPD for teachers at individual and whole school level.
- Comprehensive investment in school resources.
Outcome of talks process
The talks lasted for three days – November 7, 10 and 11 – and ended without agreement. The TUI and ASTI representatives concluded that while the Department’s proposals represented a significant move away from the 2012 proposals, the new proposals retained school-based assessment for certification and did not address teachers’ serious concerns about school capacity and resources, equity and CPD.
The Framework for Junior Cycle proposals announced in 2012 included the abolition of State certification at Junior Cycle and the introduction of school certification in its place. English, Irish and maths would have 60 per cent external assessment by the State Exams Commission and 40 percent school-based assessment. All other subjects would have 100 per cent school-based assessment consisting of written exams and other components.
The new proposals offered by the Department in November 2014 were as follows:
- That the Junior Cycle Student Award (JCSA) will be State certified.
- That 60 per cent of the assessment for all subjects would be undertaken by the State Exams Commission (SEC).
- That 40 per cent of the JCSA would be school-based assessment.
- That external moderation would be undertaken by the SEC through sampling of (10-15%) school-based assessments.
- That 300 hours would be ring-fenced for mandatory Wellbeing education including CSPE and PE.
Joint Meeting
A joint meeting of TUI Executive Committee and the ASTI Standing Committee takes place on November 14th. Decisions will be taken by the executives on further industrial action. The TUI already has a mandate for strike action with 88 per cent of members voting in favour in a ballot that took place in March. In an October ballot 84 per cent of ASTI members voted in favour on an extension of industrial action “to include a one day strike and further strike action as directed by Standing Committee”.