TUI urges members to support Leaving Certificate reform
Talks over Leaving Certificate subject reforms between the teacher unions and the Department of Education have concluded, with a package of supports offered for implementation of Senior Cycle Redevelopment from September.
The Teachers Union of Ireland has said it will be recommending acceptance of the measures in a ballot of members.
The ASTI trade union is also expected to ballot members.
The measures include specific supports for the first tranche of subjects due to be introduced this September, including an increase in the amount of the current annual Physics and Chemistry grant and the extension of its scope to include Biology and Agricultural Science.
Working groups will also be established to support the implementation and monitoring of the new programme including in areas related to AI.
The Department says it has committed to "early rapid reviews" related to the implementation of revised subject specifications, including the operation of assessment arrangements.
"Proceeding with the introduction of new and revised subjects under Senior Cycle Redevelopment in September, is in the best interest of students. It will help to reduce the pressure faced by students, while recognising a broader range of skills and ensuring that students have the skills necessary to thrive and succeed in a rapidly changing world", Minister for Education Helen McEntee said.
TUI President David Watees said: "The Union believes that these proposals are the best that could be achieved through negotiation and that they have the potential to allay concerns expressed by teachers in terms of both workload and the resources required by schools and teachers to implement Senior Cycle redevelopment."
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Threat of industrial action in secondary schools as ASTI rejects Leaving Cert reform package
THE ASSOCIATION OF Secondary Teachers in Ireland have rejected measures aimed at enabling Leaving Cert reforms, and voted in favour of industrial action. ASTI members voted to reject the Senior Cycle Redevelopment – Implementation Support Measures' by 68% to 32%. The turnout was 73%. The reforms, which are due to be implemented this September, propose allocating a minimum of 40% of Leaving Cert marks to project work or practicals across all subjects in an effort to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of student's skills. But teachers have voiced concerns about how the moves will affect the way students are assessed and marked, especially in the context of the risk of students using artificial intelligence to complete assignments. In a separate ballot, the union voted by 67% to 33% in favour of industrial action, 'up to and including strike action', in opposition to the accelerated implementation of the Leaving Cert reforms. The union said the outcome points to 'a lack of confidence in the accelerated Senior Cycle Redevelopment Programme as it is currently constituted'. ASTI General Secretary Kieran Christie said the support measures on offer 'do little to provide a Senior Cycle experience for all students that addresses the core inequalities that are in place in the second-level system'. Advertisement He said ASTI research published this year shows that a key concern 'is the lack of resources and capacity in schools to introduce such radical change in an effective manner', along with developments in AI and insufficient teacher training in some subject areas. 'The support package available from the Department fails to sufficiently address these concerns,' he added. The ASTI said it will continue to be available to engage with the Minister for Education and her Department 'in relation to how these and other significant concerns can be addressed'. In a statement, Education Minister Helen McEntee said the support measures on offer followed 'positive engagement' between the Department and the ASTI, as well as the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI). Last week, TUI members voted by 73% to 27% to accept the supports package. The Department said that it will seek to engage with the TUI leadership in the coming days as it proceeds to implement the support measures. McEntee said ASTI members have committed to cooperating with Senior Cycle Redevelopment and had confirmed to Department officials that their members will teach the new and revised specifications from the next school year. She also said that the vote 'will not affect the implementation of targeted supports for students contained in the package'. 'As I confirmed in April, the implementation of the programme will continue with the introduction of the first tranche of new and revised Leaving Certificate subjects in September 2025 as previously announced. 'The package of additional supports contains a number of significant measures aimed at supporting students directly. I am absolutely committed to delivering on those measures as we proceed with implementation of this programme.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
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a day ago
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ASTI votes down Leaving Cert reform package
The package related to teachers and their conditions of employment and apply only to those teachers who become parties to the agreement. The ASTI, in a separate ballot, voted 67pc to 33pc in favour of industrial action 'if necessary, up to and including strike action, in opposition to the accelerated implementation of the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Programme'. Education Minister Helen McEntee said: 'Despite the positive engagement between the ASTI, the TUI and my Department in the recent negotiations, the ASTI's membership have voted not to accept this strong package of supports for teachers, schools and students on offer.' Despite the ASTI voting against this package, changes to senior cycle are still set to go ahead. Under the terms of the Public Service Agreement, ASTI members have committed to cooperating with Senior Cycle Redevelopment. In addition, in engagements before the ballot process, the ASTI confirmed to Department officials that their members will teach the new and revised specifications from the next school year. Minister McEntee added: 'As I confirmed in April, the implementation of the programme will continue with the introduction of the first tranche of new and revised Leaving Certificate subjects in September 2025 as previously announced. 'From the very outset, the Senior Cycle Redevelopment programme has been motivated by the needs of our students. "The world is rapidly changing and it is important that we equip students with the skills they will need to succeed and to thrive when they finish school.' In the coming days, the Department will seek to engage with the leadership of the Teachers' Union of Ireland as it proceeds to implement the support measures. ASTI General Secretary Kieran Christie said: 'ASTI research published in 2025 shows that a key concern is the lack of resources and capacity in schools to introduce such radical change in an effective manner. "Furthermore, the supports on offer do little to provide a Senior Cycle experience for all students that addresses the core inequalities that are in place in the second-level system."
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a day ago
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Threat of industrial action in secondary schools as ASTI rejects Leaving Cert reforms
Members of Ireland's largest teaching union have voted to reject proposals to enable Leaving Cert reforms, and have also endorsed industrial action. The ASTI ballot rejected proposals to adopt new support measures for the largest changes to the Leaving Cert in a hundred years – due to be implemented this September. The union rejected the Department of Education proposal by a margin of 68% to 32%, raising the prospect of industrial action this autumn. The support measures had already been endorsed by the other major secondary teaching union, the TUI. In a statement, the union's general secretary Kieran Christie said that the vote shows that second level teachers 'have real and significant concerns' regarding the senior cycle overhaul programme. He said that a key concern is a perceived lack of resources to aid teachers in implementing the new programme, which would see a minimum of 40% of marks at Leaving Cert level delivered by project work. Teachers had expressed concerns as to how those reforms are to be effectively implemented, and how the growing challenge of Artificial Intelligence is to be handled, with the unions arguing that insufficient time had been given towards easing the transition to the new format. Mr Christie said that the supports offered by the Department of Education, which included a commitment to early reviews of the implementation of the new reforms and the creation of specific posts of responsibility to support that implementation, 'do little to provide a senior cycle experience for all students that addresses the core inequalities that are in place in the second-level system'. Minister for Education Helen McEntee said she had noted the result of the ASTI's vote, but said that, given the ASTI's members had previously committed to cooperating with senior cycle redevelopment that the reforms would 'continue as planned'. 'The implementation of the programme will continue with the introduction of the first tranche of new and revised Leaving Certificate subjects in September 2025 as previously announced,' the Minister said, adding that engagement with the TUI will ensue in the coming days for the implementation of the support measures that the ASTI has now rejected. Last April, both the ASTI and TUI served warning of potential industrial action should the then-ongoing engagement with the Government regarding the controversial new reforms not reach an acceptable conclusion.
