THOUSANDS OF TEACHERS are set to take part in a protest outside schools this lunchtime to seek a delay in implementing the Senior Cycle redevelopment.
In 2022, Education Minister Norma Foley requested that the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment prepare a schedule of senior cycle subjects to be reviewed and redeveloped.
It was then announced in September of this year that two new subjects are being added to the Leaving Cert – Drama Film and Theatre Studies, and Climate Action and Sustainable Development.
These new subjects will be introduced into schools next year, for fifth year students starting the 2025/2026 school year.
The subjects will initially be offered to 100 schools.
Members of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) and the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) will take part in today’s protest and said they are not calling for the postponement of these new pilot subjects, adding that this is “being supported with additional resources and allocation for those schools involved.
Rather, the unions are protesting a decision to “accelerate” Senior Cycle redevelopment plans.
The ASTI said teachers are “gravely concerned that aspects of the plans pose a threat to education standards, fairness and quality”.
These changes will see new and revised subject specifications to incorporate non-exam based assessments which will be worth at least 40% of the available marks and will be externally assessed by the State Examinations Commission.
While the ASTI said it is not “opposed to the redevelopment” it has called for “sufficient resources to be provided to ensure a smooth and effective roll-out”.
It added that any changes must not be “rushed through” and be of “educational benefit to students and based on the professional views of practitioners tasked with delivery”.
Today’s protest will take place outside all centres where Senior Cycle is delivered and student learning will not be impacted.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, ASTI President Donal Cremin said teachers want to “slow down the process” because the Department of Education “doesn’t have the resources at the moment to run things correctly and properly”.
“A rushed system can often be a failed system, and that’s what we’re afraid of, because it is a high stakes exam,” said Cremin.
Some €30 million of additional funding was provided in the budget for the continuation of curricular development and reforms and related teacher education.
But Cremin said this isn’t enough for the reforms and added that Ireland is the “lowest of the OECD countries” for investment in education.
“With the present economic climate, and the plenty of money that they have, they need to invest in second level education, they need to invest in our students for the future,” said Cremin.
He added that the reforms to the Senior Cycle are “too rushed” and “need to be pushed out by at least a year”.
And while Cremin welcomed the new subjects coming in next year, he noted that seven Leaving Cert subjects have been reviewed and updated and these changes will also be made from the next school year.
These subjects are: Ancient Greek; Arabic; Business; Biology; Chemistry; Latin; and Physics.
Three further tranches of subjects are then scheduled to undergo revision on an annual basis and the revised curriculum will come into schools in 2027, 2028, and 2029 respectively.
“It’s going to pressurize the system and it’s going to create major problems for students,” said Cremin.
“Things were bad enough for the last number of years, but for the future, I think, slow down and move out by just one year.”
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