700 teachers trained for changes to Junior Certificate

Around 700 teachers will have been trained this term for changes to the Junior Certificate despite ongoing industrial action by two unions over the reforms.

The exception to union bans on co-operation with continuous professional development for the programme is happening at special schools that provide junior cycle education for older pupils. Special schools often cater for pupils up to the age of 18, but are mostly registered as primary schools and mostly staffed by Irish National Teachers’ Organisation members.

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland and the Teachers’ Union of Ireland have told 27,000 members since April not to take part in any activities, including training, linked to the junior cycle reforms, around which last week’s one-day strike revolved. They also refuse to take part in school planning meetings and the teaching of new short courses, although teachers of English have had to deliver the new curriculum in September because of a risk otherwise of being open to disciplinary proceedings.