Hopes for breakthrough in Junior Certificate dispute

Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan has said she is hopeful of a breakthrough in the dispute with secondary school unions over the new assessment proposals for the Junior Certificate.

Ms O’Sullivan said the Teachers Union of Ireland and Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland have agreed to consider non-binding proposals which intermediary Padraig Travers may put forward following discussions.

She said they were now waiting for these proposals from Mr Travers.

Ms O’Sullivan said: “I am hopeful, because Padraig has been chairing the talks from the beginning. They have been fairly deep talks. I was present at some, not all, so he knows the position of both sides and I would hope that whatever he will put forward, will be put forward in the knowledge of the opinions of both sides.

“I would strongly argue that another strike will not serve anybody’s purposes. We are only going to solve this by sitting around the table together.”

Asked if money was an issue, she said she had never been told that it was.

“There are resource issues that relate to it [proposed changes]. We have already put forward more than €9m in order to implement the changes and our side is willing to engage in the issues of detail around how the implementation would happen and resources would be a part of that.”

She said teachers will not lose out financially: “I don’t see that there will be any loss of money. There are other kinds of resources in terms of supports, in terms of time and in terms of upskilling of teachers and making sure that they know exactly what is expected of them and what kind of supports they would have in doing this.

“So we are happy to engage and discuss all those kinds of issues with them. I don’t believe anybody will be out of pocket. There is no reason why they would be.”