No signs of progress in Junior Cert reform talks

Talks between teacher unions and the Department of Education over junior cycle reforms continued late last night but without signs of any progress being made.

The row over who marks students in a revised Junior Certificate system has already closed over 700 second-level schools twice in the past two months.

But talks that resumed last Thursday had seen department officials and the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland and Teachers’ Union of Ireland adjourn to hold further discussions yesterday. Although those talks continued through the day at a Dublin city hotel, resuming at 8pm after a break, there were no suggestions of a breakthrough being close.