27,000 second-level teachers are taking strike action today (Thursday, January 22nd) in protest over aspects of the Framework for Junior Cycle which the Department of Education and Skills is currently implementing in second-level schools.
Today’s strike action by members of the ASTI and TUI follows a day of strike action in December.
The presidents of the ASTI and TUI this morning reiterated that they are willing to engage in talks without preconditions in a bid to resolve the dispute. However, they stated that today’s strike is necessary because there has been no breakthrough on teachers’ key concerns and because the Department of Education and Skills has refused the unions’ request to defer implementation of the Framework for Junior Cycle until the dispute is resolved.
“We already have an independent, objective, transparent and rigorous State examinations model which maintains public trust, and teachers fully support a move away from an excessive reliance on final written examinations. However, we believe that the introduction of school-based assessment for certification poses a serious threat to the credibility of the examination process,” said Gerry Quinn, TUI President.
ASTI President Philip Irwin said: “We want a first class Junior Cycle education for all students. We fully agree that project work, portfolio work, practical work, and other methods of evaluating student learning are vital elements of a modern, forward-looking system, but we believe that they should be externally assessed for certification purposes. There are also serious and justified concerns over the capacity and school and system level to deal with the current proposals. We believe a resolution can be found, but teachers’ serious concerns must be listened to and addressed. Teachers must have confidence in the change they are implementing in their classrooms.”