Teachers could suspend involvement in new Leaving Cert assessments as union ballots members

The TUI is one of two unions representing secondary school teachers and has about 22,000 members working across second- and third-level education. Stock picture

The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) is to ballot its members for potential industrial action that could see teachers suspend their involvement in and co-operation with new Leaving Cert assessments.

The TUI is one of two unions representing secondary school teachers and has about 22,000 members working across second- and third-level education.

The decision for the union to ballot its members is linked to an overdue salary increase, agreed as part of a set of Senior Cycle redevelopment support measures.

The package was accepted by TUI members in May 2025, following negotiations between the union and the Department of Education, and was accepted in return for co-operation with the rollout of Senior Cycle redevelopment.

One of the key measures agreed, according to the TUI, was payment of a 1% salary increase from September 2025, due under local bargaining, with a further 2% due under the next succeeding national pay agreement.

This is now a year overdue, the union said. 

Earlier this year, delegates at each of the country’s teaching unions — the TUI, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), and the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) — backed potential industrial action over delayed pay increases.

If the ballot is passed, the TUI’s campaign of industrial action will initially include “the suspension of involvement and co-operation" with all elements of new additional assessment components (AACs), comprising practical and project-based assessments.

TUI president Anthony Quinn said TUI members voted to accept a package and have met their “obligations in good faith”, adding that the union has "waited long enough". 

"As with any agreement, we expect the department to keep its side of the deal, yet regrettably this has not happened,” he said.

“This failure represents a flagrant breach of trust and poses major questions around the Government’s actual commitment to the process of Senior Cycle redevelopment.”