The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI), which represents over 22,000 teachers and lecturers in Ireland engaged in Post-Primary, Higher and Further Education, has wished students the best of luck ahead of this year’s State examinations.
The Union has also called for appropriate resourcing in second level education.
Speaking today, TUI President Anthony Quinn said:
‘We wish the very best to all students sitting the State examinations this year.’
‘From my own experiences as a teacher, I know that students will more often than not will find that they are much better prepared than they might think. Every student knows what works best for them in terms of study habits, but they should make sure to take regular breaks and sleep and eat properly.’
‘Students should take comfort from the fact that there has never been a wider range of options to pursue the career of their choice.’
Special tribute
‘We pay special tribute to those examination candidates who may only have recently returned to education and also to those who may have acquired English relatively recently.’
‘As always, the unstinting support of parents and guardians should be highlighted, along with the consistent dedication of teachers in supporting students.’
Senior Cycle redevelopment must be properly resourced
‘TUI members voted last year to accept a set of support measures for Senior Cycle redevelopment, and in recent weeks we announced a range of additional supports for the redevelopment process following engagement with the Department of Education and Youth.’
‘However, while our members are in favour of positive reform that benefits the education system, they have ongoing concerns about the absence of appropriate resourcing. This is hardly surprising, given that of the OECD countries for which figures are provided, none spend a lower proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) on education than Ireland’s. At second level, Ireland’s spend remains at the foot of the table, trailing unacceptably behind the OECD average.’
‘It is also extremely worrying that many now look on the teaching profession as unaffordable due to the cost of training and the subsequent initial struggle on low hours that most teachers face in their early years.’
‘The sector must be appropriately funded and the teaching profession must remain attractive if our policymakers are serious about aspiring to having a world class education system.’