Teachers’ Union of Ireland members vote to accept proposed Leaving Certificate reforms

Leaving Certificate reforms are due to be rolled out in September. 

Members of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland have voted to accept the proposed Leaving Certificate reform package rather than take industrial action.

The union recommended that its members accept the proposals put forward by the Department of Education following a series of talks earlier this year.

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) put the ballot to its members without a recommendation.

Both unions had strongly opposed the Leaving Certificate reforms, set to begin in September, with teachers raising concerns around the readiness of schools to roll out the changes, along with the introduction of new project work components.

In April, teaching delegates passed emergency motions at their annual congress calling for their unions to take industrial action if talks with the department failed to “deliver an acceptable outcome".

Following a vote on Friday, TUI members voted by a margin of 73% to 27% to accept the negotiated implementation measures for senior cycle redevelopment.

TUI president David Waters said it is clear members still have a “range of concerns” around various issues relating to the redevelopment process.

"We will be insisting that the department honours the commitments set out in the negotiated document.” 

 The TUI has specific concerns around system capacity for the roll-out of science subjects, the potential risks to assessment posed by AI, and the “additional resourcing required to ensure that no students, particularly those in DEIS settings, are put at a disadvantage by any of the changes”. 

 “It is now imperative that these and any other arising issues are urgently addressed,” Mr Waters added.