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Senior Cycle Redevelopment

 



 

 

ASTI members reject Senior Cycle implementation proposals

In June 2025, ASTI members voted to reject the document Senior Cycle Redevelopment – Implementation Support Measures by 68% to 32% (ballot turnout: 73%).

The outcome clearly establishes two major difficulties: a lack of confidence in the accelerated Senior Cycle Redevelopment Programme as it is currently constituted and a resounding rejection of the package of implementation support measures on offer from the Department of Education.

In a separate ballot, ASTI members voted by 67% to 33% in favour of industrial action, if necessary, up to and including strike action, in opposition to the accelerated implementation of the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Programme (ballot turnout: 70%).

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Timeline for campaign

In June 2025 ASTI members voted to reject the document Senior Cycle Redevelopment – Implementation Support Measures by 68% to 32% (ballot turnout: 73%). In a separate ballot, ASTI members voted by 67% to 33% in favour of industrial action, up to and including strike action, in opposition to the accelerated implementation of the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Programme (ballot turnout: 70%).

On May 10th the ASTI Central Executive Council voted to put Senior Cycle Redevelopment – Implementation Support Measures to a ballot of ASTI members without a recommendation.

On May 8th, the Department of Education published the document Senior Cycle Redevelopment – Implementation Support Measures.

On April 8th 2025, the Minister for Education and Youth Helen McEntee announced that she was unwilling to postpone the implementation of the accelerated Senior Cycle Redevelopment. The Minister invited the ASTI and the TUI to intensive talks.

On April 15th 2025 the ASTI published a survey undertaken by RedC which found that 50% of school leaders believe their schools do not have an adequate number of labs for the revised Leaving Cert Biology, Chemistry and Physics specifications.

On 19th November 2024, more than 30,000 ASTI and TUI members engaged in a lunch-time protest calling for a delay in the implementation of Senior Cycle redevelopment so that serious issues can be addressed, in particular, resource delivery, teacher CPD and adequate time for NCCA Subject Development Groups to develop appropriate additional component assessment models and markings.

In April 2024, ASTI Annual Convention adopted a number of motions in relation to redevelopment of Senior Cycle curriculum.

In September 2023, the then Minister announced that all additional assessment components (AAC) worth 40% would continue be externally assessed by the State Examinations Commission revising her earlier proposal for school-based assessment with external SEC moderation.

In March 2023, ASTI hosted an education conference on Senior Cycle curriculum change.

In February 2023, following a joint ASTI and TUI campaign of opposition to the plan to move Leaving Certificate Paper One in English and Irish to the end of fifth year from 2024, the then Minister announced the deferral of this proposal.

In October 2022, the ASTI Central Executive Council was addressed by Áine Hyland, Irish educationalist and Emeritus Professor of Education, UCC

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