Teaching unions insist they will continue industrial action to achieve further changes to junior cycle reforms that have already been significantly moderated.

Dozens of teachers were prevented from attending junior-cycle English training by the picketing of venues by their unions yesterday.

There will be “no compromise” by protesting teachers in their opposition to proposed Junior Certificate reforms, the new president-elect of the 18,000-member ASTI has warned.

The dispute with Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan over Junior Cert reform will continue into 2016, if she implements her proposals without teacher agreement, the leader of the secondary teachers’ union warned.

The potential for division between the two second-level unions on strategy in relation to junior cycle reforms will be watched closely by the Department of Education this week.

Further strikes or mass demonstrations at the Department of Education could be staged in the next school year if the junior cycle row remains un-resolved, a union leader has warned.

New assessment methods for junior cert students are to be covered in training which Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan plans to take place next month despite an ongoing union ban on 27,000 teachers attending.

School-based assessments of junior cycle students will be valued by teachers and parents more than exams over time, the country’s top schools inspector predicts.

Students will suffer untold damage unless junior cycle reform proposals are put into action, says the head of a body representing almost 100 second-level schools.

A request by teacher unions to have training on the new junior cycle suspended has been rejected by Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan.

Teachers should be allowed give their views on the final junior cycle reform plans instead of their union leaders vetoing them, Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan has said.

Teachers and Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan are at loggerheads about reforms to the junior cycle. Education Correspondent Niall Murray looks at the background to the dispute

The Teachers Union of Ireland is making a fresh appeal for more talks on Junior Cert reform.

School managers will hear from the Department of Education today on plans for Junior Cert reform.

Education Minister Jan O'Sullivan has insisted she will push on with controversial junior cert reforms despite strong opposition from unions.

Teacher unions held marathon meetings late into last night as they considered proposals for a revised Junior Certificate cycle.

The executive councils of the ASTI and TUI will meet later to decide how to respond to a compromise plan for reforming the Junior Cycle.

Proposals that could bring an end to ongoing industrial action at schools over junior cycle reforms will be put to teacher union executives next Friday.

A further stalemate looks likely as talks resume today on proposals to resolve the teachers’ dispute over junior cycle reform.

Talks aimed at averting further strikes by second level teachers over Junior Certificate reforms look set to go down to the wire after trade unions called for clarification of a compromise proposal.

Teachers unions say they are open to further talks, but that a strike remains on the cards following the rejection of new proposals to reform the Junior Cert.

Teaching unions remain locked in talks in Dublin this afternoon as they consider the latest proposals on Junior Cycle reform.

New proposals aimed at solving the junior cert dispute will see exams split in two.

Proposals for a deal in the ongoing row over the junior cycle will be considered by teacher unions after their leaders agreed to changes in the terms of talks seeking to find a resolution.

Teachers' unions say they have agreed to consider new proposals on the implementation of Junior Cycle reform.

Education Minister Jan O'Sullivan has said she is hopeful secondary school teachers unions will accept proposals to engage in negotiations on Junior Cert reform.

Teacher union leaders will decide on Friday whether to proceed with talks on disputed aspects of junior cycle reforms, after a second full day of discussions with the Department of Education again failed to produce any agreement.

Talks between teacher unions and the Department of Education over junior cycle reforms continued late last night but without signs of any progress being made.

Talks about junior cycle reform are set to resume on Monday after the longest discussions in over two months between teacher unions and Department of Education officials.

A leading teacher union official says he would have no problem running another ballot of members on Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan’s revised junior cycle reform plans.

Hopes of a breakthrough in the teachers’ dispute with the Government over junior cycle reform look slim, despite fresh talks planned next week.

Teachers unions and the Education Minister Jan O'Sullivan have agreed to attend fresh talks next week.

Fresh talks over the junior cycle reform dispute will take place next week but teachers still plan for now to strike the following week.

Talks aimed at resolving the dispute over Junior Cycle reform, between teachers unions and the Department of Education, are due to resume next week.

Any breakthrough in the junior cycle reform dispute is only likely within days of a planned teachers’ strike at the country’s second-level schools in less than a fortnight.

A tax settlement of almost €11m is expected to be made by the State Examinations Commission next year as a result of an audit of expenses paid to contract staff.

The row over changes to the Junior Certificate between Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan and teacher unions looks set to spill into 2015 with no talks arranged.

The Education Minister Jan O'Sullivan is hopeful that a planned strike by secondary school teachers next month will not go ahead.

No resolution looks likely before Christmas in the teachers’ junior cycle reform dispute as unions plan a third strike early next year if proposed talks do not end in a resolution.

Attempts by Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan to try and restart talks on junior cycle reform have received a tentative welcome from teacher unions.

The education reform debate is entering its fourth year and still does not seem clear cut, writes Education Correspondent Niall Murray

Second-level teachers could begin closing schools with strikes before Christmas, despite significant concessions by Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan on Junior Cycle-reform plans.

An independent figure is to be brought in to try to bring a resolution to the ongoing dispute between the Department of Education and second-level teachers over Junior Cycle reforms.

THE introduction of college fees could lead to students flocking over the border to Northern Ireland, third-level bosses warned yesterday.