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Senior Cycle Redevelopment

 

 

 

 

Senior Cycle Redevelopment 

In June of this year, ASTI members voted by 84% to 16% to accept the document ‘Senior Cycle Redevelopment Implementation Support Measures – Addendum’.

ASTI members had previously rejected a package of support measures in 2025. Negotiations on enhanced measures and clarifications took place between the ASTI and the Department of Education and Youth in 2026.

Importantly, ASTI members did not vote on the Senior Cycle Redevelopment (SCR) curriculum, but on a package of measures to support curriculum implementation. Curriculum is the remit of the Minister for Education and Youth.

Monitoring Senior Cycle implementation measures

The ASTI will be monitoring the rollout of all measures included in ‘Senior Cycle Redevelopment Implementation Support Measures – Addendum’.

Enhanced provisions as a result of ASTI negotiations include:

  • an additional €2 million implementation grant for schools,
  • defined legal protection for teachers/principals regarding authentication of work for Additional Assessment Components (AACs),
  • a laboratory and digital support assistants pilot scheme, and
  • additional targeted training for Leaving Cert science teachers.

Other measures that form part of the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Implementation Support Measures, and which now apply to the ASTI and its members, include:

  • a Post-Primary Implementation Group, which includes ASTI representation, to deal with Junior Cycle and SCR implementation issues, the appointment of L1, L2 and SCR co-ordinators in schools, which are posts of responsibility and include ex quota time alleviation,
  • a Workload Working Group, which includes ASTI representation, with the objective of bringing forward mitigating measures to tackle excessive workload in teaching,
  • a taskforce on AI that will examine teachers’ concerns regarding AI and education, including its use for AACs and its impact on the Leaving Cert, and
  • the rebalancing of the Croke Park Hours to include 14 teacher-led hightrust hours.

Timeline for campaign

The Central Executive Council (CEC) of ASTI met on the 25th April, 2026. It decided to ballot ASTI members on the document Senior Cycle Redevelopment – Implementation Support Measures and Addendum with a recommendation to accept.

On 16th April 2026, direct negotiations between ASTI and the Department of Education and Youth took place. The negotiations produced proposals for enhanced provisions to be included in an Addendum to the Senior Cycle Redevelopment document.

In spring 2026, the ASTI referred matters to the Joint Implementation Committee set up under the Public Service Agreement 2024-2026.

In October 2025, the ASTI and the Department of Education and Youth agreed to move the dispute to the formal conciliation and arbitration process at the Teachers' Conciliation Council.

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 then 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

Important documents

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