ASTI - Ireland's main second level teachers union

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The ASTI is in favour of reform of the Junior Cert exam. The union has previously expressed concerns about exams dominating teaching and learning at Junior Cycle level. Teachers want to ensure their students receive an education that is relevant and meaningful and which equips them for life.

 

Resources

The ASTI has little confidence that the necessary resources will be provided to enable the successful implementation of Junior Cert reforms. International surveys confirm the serious underfunding of our second-level school system. On top of this, schools have recently experienced severe cutbacks in terms of teaching staff and other resources. There is no evidence that these proposals, if implemented, will be accompanied by appropriate resources and funding. A coherent and fully funded implementation plan is essential.

 

Social inequality

As it stands, without a budgetary plan, the proposal for short courses will inevitably lead to the exacerbation of social inequality. Some schools are in a better position to fund the design, development and delivery of such courses. This proposal will therefore lead to inequality of opportunity among students.

 

Introduction of eight subject limit in 2012

We are dismayed that the least thought-out proposal in this Framework is the one that is coming first. While the ASTI agrees that the Junior Cert programme has become “overloaded”, the unexpected announcement that there will be a limit of eight Junior Cycle exam subjects for pupils from September 2012 is causing major confusion. No one knows yet what these eight subjects are or who gets to decide what they are – schools, students, or parents.

 

The implementation of this proposal in 2012 will present a logistical nightmare for schools resulting in huge uncertainty in timetabling arrangements, teacher allocation and school organisation. The ASTI understands that under this proposal a subject class could include students taking the subject at exam level, students not taking the subject at exam level, and students who have yet to make up their minds. This will have serious implications for classroom management.

 

 

 

Assessment of students for state exam certification

A major issue for the ASTI is that we retain trust in our state examinations system. This requires external, independent, and objective assessment of the Junior Cert exam. The introduction of marking by teachers of their own students for certification purposes is not acceptable to the ASTI. The ASTI is adamant that any move that places teachers in the role of judge rather than advocate of the student will distort the existing professional relationship between teachers, students and parents.

 

The ASTI has written to the Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn requesting an urgent meeting to discuss these concerns.

 

 

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