Teachers row with Ruairi Quinn set to intensify

A row between teachers and Ruairi Quinn over the education minister’s abolition of the Junior Certificate looks set to deepen after he accused their unions of lacking trust in their professionalism.

Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland members booed and shouted over him during a speech to their conference, as he tried to convince them of the benefits for learning of assessing their own students.

Mr Quinn faced demands from the floor to withdraw a rhetorical question that asked if their union has less faith than he has in their professional capacity as teachers.