ASTI warns of potential strike if concerns about Leaving Cert reforms not addressed
Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland
(ASTI) has warned.
Padraig Curley, the new ASTI president, said many teachers fear students could use
artificial intelligence (AI)
to produce projects that will be graded as part of their overall results.
Leaving Cert
reforms will see at least 40 per cent of marks allocated to course work across several subjects including biology, chemistry, physics and business.
The new rules will impact incoming fifth years from September, meaning the new grading system for seven current subjects and two new subjects (drama film and theatre studies, and climate action and sustainable development) will be applied in the 2027 exams.
READ MORE
Mr Curley said teachers are 'extremely annoyed' their concerns about AI have not been addressed. He said many teachers may not wish to sign off on projects they believe were aided by AI, but will be afraid not to in case they
face legal action
from parents whose children subsequently get a lower grade and do not secure the college course they want.
In April, ASTI members passed a motion at the union's annual conference calling for indemnification against any such legal cases. The ASTI represents more than 20,000 teachers nationwide.
'If I say that a project is done by AI, you're not going to be happy. Your parents are certainly not going to be happy – and being unhappy is an understatement,' Mr Curley said. 'You could report me to the Teaching Council and you could actually sue me.'
On science subjects, Mr Curley said students' projects could be adversely affected by the wide variation in the quality of labs in different schools.
'Even in the same town, never mind city, you're going to have one school that might be five years old and is a beautiful school with a very, very good lab. It might even have two labs. Then you look in the same town and there'll be a school built in the 1960s with one lab and no proper infrastructure.'
If these concerns are not addressed, Mr Curley said, teachers may vote for industrial action up to and including strikes.
'I certainly think they could. No teacher wants to take industrial action . . . but they're not being respected and they're not being listened to.'
In June, ASTI members voted by a margin of 68 per cent to 32 per cent to
reject as inadequate support measures
put in place ahead of the reforms coming into effect.
In May, the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) voted by a margin of 73 per cent to 27 per cent
to accept the measures
but expressed some misgivings.
TUI general secretary Michael Gillespie said his union, which represents more than 20,000 teachers and lecturers, has been engaging with the Department of Education over the summer to set up working groups to address their concerns
.
[
Reformed Leaving Cert would allow too many opportunities to cheat using AI
Opens in new window
]
Mr Gillespie said that 'in an ideal world' the reforms would have been delayed by a year so schools could better prepare, particularly in relation to science subjects.
'We're still a bit unclear about the level of equipment that might be needed for the additional components of assessment, and does every school have the equipment.'
Mr Gillespie said the deal they have struck with the department includes 'rapid reviews' so, if their members 'see that there's something wrong or not working right', the issue will be urgently addressed.
Speaking on AI concerns and potential legal cases, Mr Gillespie said 'protections for teachers' will 'absolutely' be 'built in' to plans moving forward.
If commitments set out in the agreement are not met by the department, he said, the TUI will ballot its members on industrial action.
'Delaying the implementation of Senior Cycle Redevelopment is not in students' best interests,' the Department of Education said in a statement.
It said the redevelopment has been in progress for nine years, following 'extensive consultation', and students entering fifth year in the coming weeks 'deserve access to modern, relevant learning'.
The department said 'a dedicated task force is being established to guide the appropriate use of AI in teaching, learning and assessment'.
This task force will include stakeholders from unions, management bodies, Oide (a department-funded support service for teachers), the State Examinations Commission and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.
'Clear guidance is already in place for referencing AI-generated material, with further updates to follow,' the department said.
A 'robust package' of supports, including grants, is in place to ensure schools and teachers are fully equipped to deliver the reforms of science assessments.
'Since 2020, nearly 300 new or upgraded science labs have been delivered,' the department added.
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Irish Times
18 hours ago
- Irish Times
Letters to the Editor, August 20th: On the long wait for Leaving Cert results, loving bikes, and Maurice for the Áras
Sir, – This week my family, like many others, is nervously awaiting the CAO offers on August 27th. We are trying not to worry about the 6,000 additional applicants, and how this will affect points for our daughter's chosen university programmes. We also know that we can do nothing to address the unfair playing field that is the points race. Leaving Certificate results continue to be artificially inflated, whereas our daughter, who completed the European Baccalaureate examination in Brussels will not benefit from any post-marking adjustment. READ MORE Most of all, we are amazed that Ireland treats its young people so poorly. How can it be acceptable that Leaving Certificate results are only published on August 22nd, offers made five days later, and students and their families are expected to organise themselves to start their studies in just a couple of weeks? All this in a country experiencing a massive housing crisis. Ireland is an outlier in this regard. Our daughter received her European Baccalaureate results in the first week of July. Similarly, across most European countries, students obtain their results in late June or early July. Most of our daughter's friends accepted university places at European universities months ago, and they have had time over the summer to secure accommodation in student residences or in private apartments. Whereas, our daughter and all Irish students are stuck in a limbo all summer and then faced with a stressful mad scramble. Why can we not treat our young people and their families better? – Yours, etc, DR VICTORIA BRUCE, Brussels, Belgium. Connolly and the presidency Sir, – I was baffled to read your reporting on Saturday (August 16th)regarding Catherine Connolly's views on our Defence Forces. Deputy Connolly states: 'They are not, and should never become, an army. Armies fight wars. Ireland does not need an army.' This is quite odd, given that our Defence Forces consist of the Army, Navy, Air Corps, and Reserves. While lamenting that they are 'increasingly militarised' Deputy Connolly also states that, 'Our Defence Forces exist to protect our people and our sovereignty.' How is it intended that they will serve this function without being 'militarised' and without being willing to fight a (defensive) war? Lastly, Deputy Connolly lists among countries that we 'cannot trust' France, England (sic) and the United States. Yet she is insistent that these permanent members of the United Nations Security Council should retain a veto over deployment of our Defence Forces. These confused and contradictory views are concerning for a candidate aspiring to be Supreme Commander of our Defence Forces. – Yours, etc, DAVE McGINN, Naas, Co Kildare. Sir, – Congratulations on making a page one story from the fact that Catherine Connolly TD, our only confirmed presidential candidate at this stage, believes Ireland 'cannot trust' the United States, Britain and France when it comes to international law. After witnessing almost two years of the horror in Gaza, which has been armed and funded by the United States, Britain, Germany, France and others, it is hardly shocking that a vocal campaigner for peace is willing to condemn the US in particular, as the country which could have stopped the genocide in an instant. Not only has the US armed, funded, supported and abetted the slaughter of civilians in one of the most crowded places on earth, which is half the size of Co Louth, it has repeatedly used its veto at the United Nations Security Council to block attempts to bring some relief to the traumatised people of Gaza. At the same time, we are seeing protesters in their 70s and 80s in the United Kingdom getting arrested and threatened with imprisonment for the terrible crime of wearing Palestine Action t-shirts at protest marches and demonstrations. Meanwhile, there does not seem to be any consequences at all for the UK-based arms companies who supply weapons to Israel or the UK pilots who fly recognisance flights on behalf of the army which is dropping the bombs on displaced civilians in tents every day. I would be appalled if any candidate for the presidency of Ireland felt that these countries have a 'moral compass' left at this stage, – Yours, etc, CIARAN TIERNEY, Galway city. Maurice for the Áras? Sir, – It was with great joy that I read Maurice Manning's letter on Monday (August 18th). It brought me back to his lectures in UCD, extremely well attended, as he imparted knowledge, a witty raconteur, while, practically as ever, reminding us he did not like correcting exams in August. While his analysis is certainly correct, there is much merit to a quiet life, I also feel that his companions in Smyth's were on to something and 'Maurice for the Áras' would have us all feeling the benefit had he decided on that path instead. – Yours , etc, NIAMH BYRNE, Fairview, Dublin 3. Trump and Mr Magoo Sir, – For some time I have mused over the dominant personality within Donald Trump. I have narrowed it down to two, both of which were on display as he welcomed Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders to the Oval Office. On the one hand we have the daydreaming Walter Mitty, self-mythologising as heroic and admired, the most successful business man, greatest dealmaker and settler of wars. On the other we have Mr Magoo, recklessly oblivious to reality, ignoring facts, stumbling from faux pas to faux pas, miraculously escaping the reproach rightly to be expected after such egregious behaviour. Overall, I think Mr Magoo wins. – Yours, etc, PAT MURPHY, Co Wicklow. Ryanair responses Sir, – Ryanair's response to Pricewatch in relation to their 'minors policy' was unpleasant insofar as it was insulting, abusive and derogatory toward their customers and Mr Pope. If you take out the unpleasant bits, the answer to the questions remains unchanged. I must assume that the insulting, abusive and derogatory bits are also company policy and this is why they were included. One wonders if the unpleasantness policy is mandated by the board of the company or simply its executives? And also, what purpose it serves? – Yours, etc, ROB STRUNZ, Scariff, Co Clare. Sir, – I don't believe it. Ryanair is set to increase the number of seats out of Ireland by 15.5 per cent this winter. ('R yanair adds 600,000 seats to Irish winter schedule ,' August 16th). In the midst of rising temperatures and numerous wildfires in Europe, Ryanair are actually planning to increase the amount of warming greenhouse gas they are pumping into the atmosphere. What kind of insanity is this? – Yours, etc, CELESTINE O'REILLY, Foxrock, Dublin. Portiuncula Hospital Sir, – I understand that five separate reviews identified serious concerns with maternity care at Portiuncula Hospital in Co Galway. In these circumstances it seems difficult to understand why people are arranging protests to demand the restoration of such services at the same hospital facility. – Yours, etc, BILLY HANNIGAN, Limekiln, Dublin 12. Older people and large houses Sir, – Lorcan Sirr plays an old record when he posits that 'owning a large house doesn't mean you are wealthy'. ('Older renters are particularly vulnerable amid Ireland's housing crisis,' August 18th) He (or the headline writer) asks 'Who is anybody to tell an older person that their house is too big for their needs?' – a loaded question if ever there was one. Our constitution rightly guarantees property rights; however, the simple fact is that most pensioners are currently receiving benefits (pension and health) far in excess of the contributions they have made to the PRSI system. Asset inflation on the other hand means their housing assets are worth far in excess of what they paid (with no Capital Gains Tax and minuscule property tax). It's instructive that social welfare means testing explicitly excludes the principal private residence, but modest savings of a renter are included. Pity the younger 'generation rent' working and paying high rates of income tax to fund the pensions of the propertied generation. It is also a pathetic reflection on Ireland's banking and legal establishment that bridging finance is absent; my suspicion is that since being stung during the boom, banks are focused on simple lending where they will not be required to bring drawn-out court cases against obstinate 'hard luck cases' when things go awry. – Yours, etc, MATTHEW GLOVER, Lucan, Co Dublin. You, me and my lovely bike Sir, I am writing in response to Sean Mooney (You, me and my lovely SUV, Letters , August 18th)) and to declare my undying and unconditional love for my bicycle. I am unapologetic about its practically non-existent running costs, superfluous health benefits and ability to park almost anywhere. I sit, pedalling past queues of traffic in smug satisfaction that I am not harming the health of the local population with toxic fumes or accelerating climate change with CO2 emissions. I arrive at my destination at a time not dictated by traffic and muse on my most recent journey in an SUV. Sitting sedentary in traffic, watching my bank balance drain as the fuel empties, inhaling toxic chemicals and listening to inane rubbish and endless advertisements on the radio. Sean's claim about tax being applied to whatever is popular is patently wrong – nobody in Amsterdam pays a tax to cycle. His claims of improved safety and lowest ever emissions are conspicuous for their lack of evidence. This answer as to why is simple – there is none. Marginally improved emissions may be applauded, only for the fact the number of cars on Irish roads has almost doubled in the past 25 years, obliterating any benefit in this regard. The sad reality is that the world is burning. We need urgent affirmative action, unity and meaningful discourse. Instead, we get outlandish opinions published in an effort to drive engagement through outrage. 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Balfe claims that carbon markets 'almost always fail to provide any real climate benefit,' citing the Guardian newspaper article that claimed 90 per cent of rainforest offsets certified by Verra were 'phantom credits.' However, Nature Climate Change found these projects have a solid scientific basis. Cambridge researchers say REDD+ slows deforestation in high-threat regions. And independent rating agencies call the Guardian's figures 'hugely overstated.' Balfe's most troubling claim is that projects 'have a history of failing to deliver for communities' in the Global South, particularly in Africa. As someone from Africa, and the CEO of the world's leading carbon standards body, I can tell you this is simply not true. Yes, like in any market, there have been missteps in some carbon projects. Yes, like in any market, there have been bad actors and even lawbreakers. That's true of every sector in the world. But to dismiss the entire mechanism as something that 'simply does not work' is an oversimplification that does more harm than good. I can't help but wonder if critics of this 'failed' system have visited carbon projects. Like the TIST programme in Kenya, where farmers have planted 26 million trees and funded food, schools, and resilience. Or Pakistan's Delta Blue Carbon project, restoring 600,000 hectares of mangroves, creating 15,000 jobs, and sequestering 142 million tonnes of CO2? These aren't failures. They are real projects, delivering measurable climate benefits and life-changing community impacts every day. Here's where we can agree with Balfe though: carbon markets must keep improving. They must be transparent, deliver tangible benefits, and have mechanisms in place that weed out bad actors. On that, there's no disagreement. But her proposed 'alternatives' (rapid decarbonisation, progressive taxation, vast increases in public climate finance, and fully funded just transitions) read more like a wish list than a workable plan. Of course we need all of those things. The question is when and how? These measures are politically stalled, chronically underfunded, and often decades away from they ever arrive. Meanwhile, communities facing climate impacts today cannot eat promises of future taxation reform. They cannot replace lost livelihoods with unfulfilled finance pledges. And they cannot wait for the 'perfect' system while their forests are being cut down right now. The hard truth is this: we don't have the luxury of pitting one solution against another. We need rapid decarbonisation and high-integrity carbon markets. We need public finance and private capital flowing through proven mechanisms that already deliver results on the ground. Balfe wants to throw away one of the few functioning tools we have . Well-run carbon projects deliver every single day. The alternative isn't just worse. It's unthinkable. Yours, etc. MANDY RAMBHAROS, CEO, Verra, Washington. Not a record Sir, – Mairéad Cashman spotted an open ham sandwich on a menu in a restaurant in Co Clare last week, priced at €22.50 and wonders if this is a record ? ( Letters, August 19th ). No, this is a rip off. €7.50 would be a record. – Yours, etc, PATRICK O'BYRNE, Dublin 7.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Irish Times
ASTI warns of potential strike if concerns about Leaving Cert reforms not addressed
Teachers could engage in industrial action, up to and including strikes, if their concerns about reform of several Leaving Certificate subjects are not addressed, the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) has warned. Padraig Curley, the new ASTI president, said many teachers fear students could use artificial intelligence (AI) to produce projects that will be graded as part of their overall results. Leaving Cert reforms will see at least 40 per cent of marks allocated to course work across several subjects including biology, chemistry, physics and business. The new rules will impact incoming fifth years from September, meaning the new grading system for seven current subjects and two new subjects (drama film and theatre studies, and climate action and sustainable development) will be applied in the 2027 exams. READ MORE Mr Curley said teachers are 'extremely annoyed' their concerns about AI have not been addressed. He said many teachers may not wish to sign off on projects they believe were aided by AI, but will be afraid not to in case they face legal action from parents whose children subsequently get a lower grade and do not secure the college course they want. In April, ASTI members passed a motion at the union's annual conference calling for indemnification against any such legal cases. The ASTI represents more than 20,000 teachers nationwide. 'If I say that a project is done by AI, you're not going to be happy. Your parents are certainly not going to be happy – and being unhappy is an understatement,' Mr Curley said. 'You could report me to the Teaching Council and you could actually sue me.' On science subjects, Mr Curley said students' projects could be adversely affected by the wide variation in the quality of labs in different schools. 'Even in the same town, never mind city, you're going to have one school that might be five years old and is a beautiful school with a very, very good lab. It might even have two labs. Then you look in the same town and there'll be a school built in the 1960s with one lab and no proper infrastructure.' If these concerns are not addressed, Mr Curley said, teachers may vote for industrial action up to and including strikes. 'I certainly think they could. No teacher wants to take industrial action . . . but they're not being respected and they're not being listened to.' In June, ASTI members voted by a margin of 68 per cent to 32 per cent to reject as inadequate support measures put in place ahead of the reforms coming into effect. In May, the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) voted by a margin of 73 per cent to 27 per cent to accept the measures but expressed some misgivings. TUI general secretary Michael Gillespie said his union, which represents more than 20,000 teachers and lecturers, has been engaging with the Department of Education over the summer to set up working groups to address their concerns . [ Reformed Leaving Cert would allow too many opportunities to cheat using AI Opens in new window ] Mr Gillespie said that 'in an ideal world' the reforms would have been delayed by a year so schools could better prepare, particularly in relation to science subjects. 'We're still a bit unclear about the level of equipment that might be needed for the additional components of assessment, and does every school have the equipment.' Mr Gillespie said the deal they have struck with the department includes 'rapid reviews' so, if their members 'see that there's something wrong or not working right', the issue will be urgently addressed. Speaking on AI concerns and potential legal cases, Mr Gillespie said 'protections for teachers' will 'absolutely' be 'built in' to plans moving forward. If commitments set out in the agreement are not met by the department, he said, the TUI will ballot its members on industrial action. 'Delaying the implementation of Senior Cycle Redevelopment is not in students' best interests,' the Department of Education said in a statement. It said the redevelopment has been in progress for nine years, following 'extensive consultation', and students entering fifth year in the coming weeks 'deserve access to modern, relevant learning'. The department said 'a dedicated task force is being established to guide the appropriate use of AI in teaching, learning and assessment'. This task force will include stakeholders from unions, management bodies, Oide (a department-funded support service for teachers), the State Examinations Commission and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. 'Clear guidance is already in place for referencing AI-generated material, with further updates to follow,' the department said. A 'robust package' of supports, including grants, is in place to ensure schools and teachers are fully equipped to deliver the reforms of science assessments. 'Since 2020, nearly 300 new or upgraded science labs have been delivered,' the department added.
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Irish Examiner
More than 600 teaching posts remain vacant ahead of new school term
More than 600 teaching posts remain vacant ahead of the new school term, as unions warn the recruitment and retention crisis in schools continues unabated due to ineffective Government action. A week before many second-level schools are due to reopen around the country, 284 unfilled second-level teaching posts in subjects like English, biology, and maths are still being advertised. At primary level, 140 mainstream classroom teacher posts remain advertised on along with a further 180 roles for special education teachers, special class teachers, supply teachers and support teachers. The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) said it was consistent that hundreds of teaching posts remain unfilled in mid-August each year, despite schools having worked 'relentlessly' to try and put a full complement of teaching staff in place. It comes as the second-level teachers' union launched the findings of a survey of school leaders conducted earlier this year. Almost 70% of those taking part reported they had unfilled vacancies due to recruitment difficulties. Published this week, it found: Almost 80% of second-level schools surveyed had no applications for an advertised post or posts during the 2024/25 school year; 90% of schools said there were no substitute teachers available to cover for absent teachers; 73% said they had to employ non-qualified/ casual teachers to manage teacher supply issues. A further 42% schools said they removed a subject, or subject, from the curriculum. The changes necessary to fundamentally address the problem and ensure teaching is a sustainable career have not been acted upon, according to ASTI general secretary Kieran Christie. 'It seems the Department of Education and Youth is waiting for demographic shifts to lessen the problem. This is not an acceptable way to treat the children and young people who are returning to school this month.' 'Fundamental changes to entice teachers to return from other countries need to be introduced,' he added. 'Shortening the excessively long teachers' pay scale and doubling the number of middle management posts in schools would be an enormous help in properly addressing the teacher supply crisis.' The training period for new teachers needs to be reduced from two-years to one and the exorbitant cost of undertaking this training must be tackled. Earlier this week, the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) also accused the Department of Education of being 'intent on trying to 'ride out'' issues around teacher recruitment. The union has called for the duration of the current professional master of education, required to become a second-level teacher, to be halved, from two to one years.
