Teachers yet to vote on Junior Cycle reform

Any training of teachers for new assessments of Junior Cycle students from next spring will not be able to start until at least mid-October as unions have yet to ballot members on the plans.

While the outcome will not be known for a month, a crucial factor will be whatever recommendations are made later this week by leaders of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) and Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI). Both have agreed to ballot their combined 27,000 members who work at more than 700 second-level schools, but it is unclear what position their respective executives will take. The main details were finalised in May with the Department of Education, with further key commitments on the time to be allowed for preparations within schools decided last month.

Instead of all assessment for Junior Cycle being carried out by their own teachers as previously proposed, students’ final written exams would continue to be marked by the State Examinations Commission.