Reform plans ‘risk marking free-for-all’

In the shadow of a big roadside sign promoting the upcoming Kinsale Community school show The Bodyguard, staff took it in turns to operate the picket line of groups of up to 10 teachers at a time, based on a pre-determined roster.

Like around 90 other schools around the country in the community school sector, its staff are a mix of members of both unions involved in the strike, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (Asti) and Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI).

Although individual members were reluctant to speak to media about the issues behind the deepening dispute, principal Fergal McCarthy – a former Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) executive member – explained the rationale from the perspective of ordinary teachers.

“I think parents and society in Ireland place a high value on the Junior Cert, in terms of the results informing what a student might choose to study in the senior cycle.

“Teachers are seeking to ensure the integrity associated with the State Examinations Commission will be maintained,” he said.

“Teachers don’t see a difficulty with some school-based component work going towards the end-of-year result; the only dispute is around the manner in which it is assessed.

“The issue at stake is the independence of the assessment that’s made of that work,” he said.

Staff passed flasks of tea and coffee around and shared snacks as the low winter sun brought a thaw to the frosty morning, but they said they did not mind too much being out in the cold.

As one group came along to replace others on the picket around 10am, placards with union slogans (‘Protect Education Standards’ under an Asti logo, while a TUI message stated ‘Students Deserve Equality’) swapped shoulders and a new group took up picketing duty along the footpath on a short hill running outside the school grounds.

Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan has cited research that has shown that many students – boys, in particular – switch off from education during second-year, as an argument for some of the new teaching and learning methods proposed for the junior cycle.

But Mr McCarthy said that gave a justification for retaining the Junior Certificate in its current format.

“It is part of what does keep some of those second-years on task and on focus,” he said.

Asti vice-president Máire Ní Chiarba joined colleagues on the picket at Coláiste an Phiarsaigh in Glanmire, Co Cork, saying teachers were not standing in the way of change, something she said has been suggested in recent days.

“We’re taking the change on board. We are not prepared to go down the road of assessing our own students.

“How can the minister stand over a system whereby we would all be assessing our own students in our own schools? It doesn’t bear thinking about, it would be, in my opinion, a free-for-all.”