Junior Cert plan ‘needs time and staffing’

School managers have told Education Minister Ruairí Quinn his plan to replace the Junior Certificate will fail if he does not give schools the time and staffing supports to implement it.

Mr Quinn was attending the annual conference of the Joint Managerial Body, which represents 380 religious-owned secondary schools. Along with other management groups, it has made proposals on how teachers’ opposition to marking their own students for the minister’s proposed Junior Cycle Student Award might be eased, through external moderation to ensure equal standards between schools.

However, JMB president Fr Paul Connell said it would be tragic if the unacceptable behaviour of some delegates who shouted over Mr Quinn’s speech to the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland conference last week masked the real concerns of educators about the new junior cycle plan, mainly about resourcing and assessment.