Junior Cert reform - Schools lack resources

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland has said that teachers do not have the resources to implement proposed changes to the Junior Certificate cycle.

Cynics might say that this is what one would expect from a union that likes to say ‘no’.

Yet there is little doubt that there has been a worrying lack of consultation and engagement with teachers on the issue.

According to the ASTI, teachers are very concerned that schools are not prepared, and 50% of principals say they do not have the capacity to deal with the changes.

The radical reforms, under which formal exams are abolished and replaced with a longer series of continuous assessments, will begin next September. They will require more administration, greater teacher/student interaction, and enhanced technical support.

Yet resources are being cut, not enhanced, so the danger is that rural schools, in particular, will be even more disadvantaged than they already are.