Taoiseach: Impasse over Leaving Cert plans must be sorted 

Talks aimed at getting the ASTI back to the table to restart discussions around the arrangements for this year’s State exams failed to reach a breakthrough on Friday.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has insisted arrangements for this year’s Leaving Cert must be sorted over the coming days in the interests of students, who he said are “the number one priority.” 

It comes amidst a continued impasse between the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) and Norma Foley, the Minister for Education after the union suddenly withdrew from planning talks this week.

Talks aimed at getting the union back to the table to restart discussions around the arrangements for this year’s State exams failed to reach a breakthrough on Friday. When asked if Government will make a decision on the Leaving Cert next week, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said his view was that “we must put students first”.

Before the ASTI announced it was to withdraw from talks, the Taoiseach committed to a decision on the Leaving Cert in the coming week. Students are going through a lot of “anxiety and stress" right now, he said. 

All parties to this issue must do what we can to alleviate that stress and that means clarity fairly soon.” 

It is very important to get this sorted in the coming days, he added.

“Government has given space for discussions to take place in a reasonable way and in a reasonable timeframe." 

He hopes the ASTI accepts Norma Foley's invitation to return to talks, he added. "I believe this is too important an issue for the young people of Ireland to be outside of an important talks process like this." 

The ASTI described the meeting at the Department of Education yesterday as “constructive” but that more work needs to be done with a view to finding a resolution to the impasse.

ISSU Statement on the Withdrawal of ASTI from Bilateral Talks

"The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union is shocked and disappointed by the recent announcement of the ASTI that they have withdrawn from talks on the 2021 Leaving Cert."

Read more below ⬇️https://t.co/jlwVnhYCxA pic.twitter.com/lLKqRtdDIf

— Irish Second-Level Students' Union (ISSU) (@issu4u) February 11, 2021

The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) has called for students to be given the option of either sitting exams or being assessed through an alternative model. 

“The ISSU is advocating for three things,” said Alicia O’Sullivan, ISSU education officer. “Clarity, choice and compassion for students.” 

For the last week, the second-level teaching unions and the Department of Education have been engaging in confidential talks around plans for the Leaving Cert. Two “parallel” approaches will be developed – written exams and a "corresponding measure". 

However, the ASTI pulled out of the talks suddenly on Thursday, citing concerns over what it sees as too strong a focus on "calculated grades" ahead of traditional written exams.

In a message to members seen by the Irish Examiner, the ASTI said it became “apparent” during talks that an “integrated and/or optional approach rather than a parallel approach was favoured”. This approach “incorporated calculated grades to fill any gaps in preferred or optional students’ assessment”. 

It is also “difficult to reconcile” the real and understandable concerns about stress on students with a proposition that would effectively see them preparing for two versions of a Leaving Cert, it added. It remains committed to ensuring that "a parallel measure may be available”.