Latest news with #RedevelopmentProgramme
Irish Independent
13-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Teachers warned that pay hikes will be clawed back if Leaving Cert reform is blocked
A Department of Education letter to secondary teacher unions reminded them that payment of increases due under current and future wage deals depend on them backing reforms. It said it reserved the right to seek a pause or clawback of pay rises in the event of industrial action or 'non-compliance' with a Senior Cycle Redevelopment plan. The letter said payment of pay rises worth 1pc under this deal and 2pc under the next, under a special local bargaining clause, are subject to compliance with the deal. It also says 'outstanding payments' due under the pay deal, which are separate to the local bargaining pay rises, are subject to their compliance. These outstanding payments include three pay rises worth 3pc that are due to all 400,000 public servants under the deal. They include a 1pc pay rise on August 1, a 1pc pay rise on February 1 next year and another 1pc in June 2026. The TUI has recommended that its members accept the reform package but the ASTI is not issuing a recommendation to its members on how they should vote. Students will be awarded a minimum of 40pc of their marks for project or practical work under the reforms that are designed to ease exam pressure on students. 'It should be clearly understood that the benefits of this agreement are dependent on parties to it approving the agreement and complying with it,' said the letter sent on May 8. 'The payment of the 1pc and 2pc element of local bargaining are subject to this agreement being complied with for the duration of the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Programme. 'The department reserves the right to seek a pause or clawback of these increases in the event of industrial action or other non-compliance in the future in respect of Senior Cycle Redevelopment, through the appropriate Public Service Agreement structures. 'The outstanding payments due under the Public Service Agreement 2024 to 2026 are subject to compliance with the PSA, including commitments relating to supporting, and co-operating with, Senior Cycle Redevelopment.' However, the department said if cooperation ceases at any stage, it t will refer the dispute to dispute resolution mechanisms that are part of the deal. The letter from Dalton Tatton, assistant secretary general, said the department considers a document it sent the ASTI and TUI as 'a full and final offer' in relation to support measures for this phase of Leaving Cert redevelopment. Among measures to support the rollout of the reforms, the letter referred to revised arrangements for teachers securing permanent contracts and a 'reconfiguration' of extra hours being worked. The development of a 'right to disconnect' policy is also mentioned, along with working groups to monitor a programme that relates to AI. Kieran Christie, general secretary of the ASTI, said the union's ballot will end in June. 'We're balloting our members and bringing the full facts to their attention without a recommendation,' he said. 'We are mindful and our members are mindful of their obligations under the agreement.' He said the union sees the letter in the 'context of normal engagement in bargaining and industrial relations'. He said the ASTI has been aware of the potential penalties since its members accepted the public sector pay deal and the letter is a 'further elaboration on that'. It is understood that there is a feeling among a portion of members of the unions that the reforms were rushed and will involve an excessive workload. Sources said there are also concerns around the use of AI and authenticating projects.
Irish Independent
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
New Leaving Cert science redevelopment project fails to address ‘crisis' in staff shortages
The ASTI is Ireland's main second level teachers union and represents 20,200 teachers across community schools, community colleges, comprehensive schools and voluntary secondary schools. From September 2025 to 2029 new and revised Leaving cert subject specifications are set to be introduced on a phased basis across the entire Senior Cycle curriculum as part of the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Programme. In response to the revised science subject specifications, half of all principals and deputy principals have said their schools do not have enough science laboratories to meet the number of students in their schools. Additionally, 47% said they have teacher supply problems for science subjects and 44% believe their science labs are not well equipped. Aaron Wolfe is the principal at Coláiste Éamann Rís secondary school in Cork City. He told the Irish Independent that despite progress in funding for science lab equipment and curricular reform, many schools, including his, do not have the space needed to benefit from them. Mr. Wolfe's school is due to have an extension built to add two new science labs to the school which will bring them up to four labs, however, he said they are still at stage one of the process and do not have planning permission presently. He said: 'We have a school of nearly 800 students and using two labs makes it difficult for timetabling, you're reduced in the amount of time you can do the practical elements of the course, it makes it challenging and we wouldn't be the only school in the country who are facing these kinds of challenges with regards to science.' Speaking about the availability of equipment Mr. Wolfe said: 'The government did launch funding to buy science lab equipment the problem is if you don't actually have the room or the storage facilities for that equipment, we have very small storerooms in the school, two storerooms with the two science labs. 'Science for us is not underfunded in terms of equipment, it's getting the access to the equipment, it's more rooms we need.' He continued: "Education in this country is not properly funded then you have the teacher shortage, it's trying to even get the science teachers to be able to actually teach the subjects and these are all added burdens to the management of schools.' ADVERTISEMENT According to the ASTI/RedC survey, almost three-quarters of second level school principals work more than 50 hours per week and over a third work for 56 or more hours. The survey revealed that unsustainable workloads and a 'relentless' stream of new initiatives and policies is preventing schools leaders from focusing on key leadership duties, particularly in terms of leading teaching and learning in their schools. Mr. Wolfe said: 'There's a crisis there in education because no one wants to actually become a principal anymore because they just see the burden on principals to meet all the legislative demands that are being put in place. "Any new initiative that is being rolled out by the Department of Education is being put on 'well the principal can do this' and you have a constant stream of circulars arriving into schools of extra work that the principal is required to do and very little of those circulars have to do with teaching and learning.' He added: "On top of all this you have this curriculum reform, it seems to be that they're pushing on with reform whether it's needed or whether it's wanted or not but the fact is we don't actually have teachers to go into the classrooms and teach this new curriculum in the first place. "It makes it challenging for the teachers but teachers will make do but I suppose we're reaching a stage where we shouldn't have to make do, that we have this new course and any sort of change to the curriculum should be properly funded.' "It shouldn't be up to schools to find work arounds, we should just have the facilities that we need deliver a top class education.' Mr. Wolfe said he believes there is a crisis in Ireland in that there are not enough young people going into the teaching profession which he says is evident in the job advertisements being put online as the number of applicants have fallen or there are not applicants at all. He shared that staff shortages in schools are compounding the issue and that aside from science teacher shortages, guidance councillors are also in short supply. He said: "For guidance councillor positions, I've had no applications, I'm going to have to re-advertise for it. We're a city centre school, we have a fantastic WSC, great place to work, but we have no applicants because guidance councillors don't exist out there and now there's a mental health crisis in this country but we don't have guidance councillors, we don't have enough guidance councillors to go into the schools to fill these positions, that's a problem.' Applications for a guidance councillor position had closed on Friday, April 11, 2025 with no applicants, Mr Wolfe said he has had to re-advertise for it and that the same position was left vacant last year as they were unable to fill it.
