Threat of industrial action in secondary schools as ASTI rejects Leaving Cert reform package
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'.
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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.'
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Extra.ie
a day ago
- Extra.ie
Redress is essential in holding religious orders and schools to account, say abuse survivors
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Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Worry about funding redress scheme for abuse in schools runs deep
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But the State's record in extracting sufficient cash from these orders to pay for historical abuse is both a sorry and a long one. Going back to last September, when the scoping inquiry report was published, senior government figures have emphasised two things consistently: Firstly, that redress must happen, and quickly – Simon Harris, taoiseach at the time, said such a scheme could not be 'parked' until the statutory inquiry was complete. But privately, the second issue they fret about is the cost. Public statements heaping pressure on orders to pay up are just that: statements. Meanwhile, the worry about the tab and its impact on the exchequer runs deep. In 2023, officials in the Department of Education outlined that a broad scheme would expose the exchequer to 'unquantifiable and potentially enormous costs'. Earlier this year, officials in the Department of Public Expenditure warned that the recommendations from the scoping inquiry have the potential to 'very significantly impact on public finances'. READ MORE There is both a political and a moral imperative behind establishing a redress scheme. But there is also a cold hard reality to funding it. For now, victims do not know what they'll get, or when, or if they'll get redress at all. There is no clear or established path to ensuring religious orders pay towards a scheme. And the State cannot confidently measure its liability, nor ignore the risk of footing the bill. The tension between these competing points is likely to increase in the years ahead. Fees conundrum The issue of how much families will have to pay for college registration fees next year continued to dominate proceedings in the Dáil yesterday and last night, culminating in a Sinn Féin motion on the topic, while students protested outside the gates of Leinster House. Read Marie O'Halloran's report here . While it lacks the heat of last week, the issue is unlikely to totally fade away any time soon. The Opposition knows the Government is in a bind on it – it cannot, by its own admission, provide a straightforward answer on the fees question without pre-empting the budget process. Meanwhile, it provides an evergreen angle of attack for the Opposition parties on the cost-of-living debate, something which they have all shifted focus towards in recent weeks. More of that this morning, with a Social Democrats motion on transparency in supermarket profits. Make no mistake about it, the budget wars are already under way. And after years of watching while government parties disbursed huge amounts of exchequer funds to voters, the Opposition will not hesitate in attacking. Best reads Ellen Coyne has the latest on medical evacuations of sick children from Gaza to Ireland. We report on Pa Daly's High Court challenge to the super juniors at Cabinet. 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Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Survivors welcome commission of investigation into handling of sexual abuse in schools
Survivors' groups have welcomed a commission of investigation into the handling of sexual abuse in schools but warned that further delays to redress for victims could allow institutions to avoid accountability. The commission follows a scoping inquiry last year that detailed almost 2,400 allegations of sexual abuse across more than 300 religious-run schools. The soon-to-be-established commission will examine the handling of allegations, suspicions, and concerns of sexual abuse in all schools, including primary and post-primary. It will also examine the handling of these complaints by religious bodies and State agencies, including the Department of Education, the HSE, and An Garda Síochána. Announcing the establishment of the commission, education minister Helen McEntee vowed that the institutions and religious orders 'involved in these awful crimes' will contribute to redress. The State has a track record of failure when it comes to compelling religious orders to contribute financially towards victims. Most recently, it emerged that just two of the eight religious orders linked to mother and baby homes offered to contribute to the €800m redress scheme for survivors. Ms McEntee said more work is needed to decide how a redress scheme for victims of sexual abuse in schools is to progress. 'It's very clearly the wish of survivors but what's very clear also is that any redress scheme would be funded by the religious orders and by those who were accountable for the awful abuses which happened in our schools.' This work will continue 'in parallel' with the work of the commission and will focus on further examination of the religious orders. 'What funds they have, what assets they have, what levers may be used by government to ensure that funding is provided by those religious groups and orders,' Ms McEntee said. This is being worked on by the Attorney General. 'It is important to stress that the preferred outcome here is that religious institutions and organisations would come forward,' she added. Survivor advocacy group One in Four welcomed the move to formally approve a commission of investigation into the handling of child sexual abuse in schools across Ireland from 1927 to 2013. The scale reflects the thousands of lives affected and the deep impact on families and communities for generations, according to One in Four chief executive Deirdre Kenny. 'We recognise the complexity of the commission's work and what it represents for survivors and for Irish society,' she said. 'Examining how concerns were managed is vital for understanding past failures and building a safer, more accountable future for all children.' Concern around redress delays However, the group also expressed concerns about further delays to redress for victims. 'While we appreciate this is complex, survivors have shown immense resilience and patience. Therefore, we are concerned about any further delay. 'Delays disadvantage survivors and may allow institutions to avoid accountability and responsibility,' said Ms Kenny. The commission is set to run for the next five years, and will cost 'tens of millions', Ms McEntee said. Earlier this year, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said there is a need to 'fundamentally reflect' on costly and lengthy commissions of investigation which come up with 'deeply unsatisfactory' findings. Mr Martin was speaking after the publication of the Farrelly Commission report into the 'Grace' foster home case, which took eight years at a cost of €13.6m so far, with the final bill set to top €20m. The commission published its 2,000-page report into the case in April. The report was subsequently roundly criticised by whistleblowers, Ireland's Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, and across political parties. - If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please click here for a list of support services.