90% of teachers say training for Junior Cycle changes has been inadequate

A strong majority of teachers of English do not accept they had enough training to begin covering a new course next autumn as part of Education Minister Ruairi Quinn’s Junior Cycle reforms.

Although additional continuous professional development has been agreed by Mr Quinn before first assessments for the new Junior Cycle Student Award, only one day has been provided so far for teachers of English. It is the first subject in which the changes are taking place, and teachers will be expected to assess their own students from the middle of second year onwards, beginning with first year classes that start this September.

The Department of Education has said the details of assessment will be covered in future training. However, but a survey of 1,000 Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland members, who had been through the first session of continuous professional development found more than three quarters did not feel it met their expectations.

All but 18% did not believe there was enough time given to cover the new English curriculum, which they are expected to teach from September despite starting industrial action two weeks ago.

The department said earlier this month that almost 4,700 English teachers — nearly 90% who teach the subject — had attended one of its 204 workshops since last October. However, with no further continuous professional development scheduled before the autumn, almost half those surveyed by ASTI said their confidence to teach the new course in September had not increased as a result of their training so far.

As a result of last month’s votes, ASTI members and second-level members of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland will not take part in any further training related to the Junior Cycle, school planning, or teaching of short courses which can count towards the award that Mr Quinn wants to replace the Junior Certificate.

While training is a major concern, the biggest issue of contention is Mr Quinn’s plan that teachers take over the marking of their students’ work from the State Examinations Commission, which official advice to him said should continue marking final exams worth 60% of overall marks.

The issue will be the biggest talking point at both unions’ conferences this week, and the one on which Mr Quinn faces most pressure when he attends ASTI’s annual convention in Wexford today and the TUI congress in Kilkenny tomorrow.

ASTI general secretary Pat King said that, in a matter of months, English teachers will be implementing a radically different Junior Cycle course that requires new ways of teaching, with a particular focus on six skills areas and on oral communication skills. He said they feel the training they have received is not enough.

“Clearly this approach to educational change is fundamentally unsound,” said Mr King. “The ASTI warned the minister and his department on a number of occasions over the past year that one day of training for teachers of English ahead of the implementation of the framework for Junior Cycle is totally inadequate.”

The minister increased planned training for the JCSA in January and discussions between unions, his officials and school management groups may result in further extra resources or professional development. However, he has repeatedly insisted the assessment issue is already decided, an issue which last month’s Fine Gael Árd Fheis told party leaders to seek a change on.