Community schools 'frustrated' by slow pace of Junior reform

Community and comprehensive schools say they are frustrated with the slow progress on Junior Cycle reform.

It comes as the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools prepare to hold their annual convention in Galway today.

They said the directive from the teaching unions prohibiting participation in in-service training and new learning programmes has been a backwards step for their schools.

To date, unions have been unable to agree a compromise with the Department of Education, which has led to two strike days.

General Secretary of the Association Eileen Salmon is urging them to find a solution.

"The framework was issued in 2011, and we're now in 2015 and we've barely budged an inch on it," she said.

"It's most unfortunate that the Department of Education and the unions haven't been able to come to some sort of an agreement.

"There's very little, I think, keeping them apart at this stage".

She said she would like to see unions lift their directive for teachers not to engage in continuous professional development.

She said that would prove to teachers it is not a bad thing, but rather a system that would "help their teaching and learning … and everybody would be better off in the long run."