Teachers from Donegal joined colleagues in a lunchtime protest over Junior Cycle concerns outside school gates around the country yesterday.
The protest was organised by second level unions TUI and ASTI.
Co. Donegal TUI Chairperson Noel Rodden said teachers will always support positive change that guarantees improvement.
“However, we are gravely concerned by the potential for damage posed by the new Junior Cycle proposals. Even at this late stage, there is an unacceptable lack of information about how the new Junior Cycle will work in practice and how it will be resourced.
“The move to school-based assessment raises serious questions regarding the validity and reliability of student results. In addition to this, overlapping assessments will increase the pressure on students. There is also a risk of deterioration in the pupil/teacher, teacher/parent relationship if teachers are to mark their own students for certification.
“As educators and practitioners, we believe that student achievement in the new Junior Cycle must be externally assessed and nationally certified by the State Examinations Commission.
“Rushed change for which adequate preparation has not been made can cause irreparable damage to the education system and the educational experience of students.’
Detailed below are a range of specific concerns teachers have over the proposed changes
Why are teachers concerned about the changes to Junior Cycle?
• There is an unacceptable lack of concrete information about how the new Junior Cycle will work in practice and how it will be resourced.
• Meaningful engagement and negotiation with teachers and their unions has not taken place.
• The system is simply not ready for change of such magnitude after six years of slash-and-burn austerity cuts to school resourcing and teacher numbers.
• The planned discontinuation of external assessment/moderation puts standards at risk
• The move to school-based assessment raises serious questions regarding the validity and reliability of student results.
• School-based certification will lead to unfairness and a lack of consistency in standards.
• Schools that cannot offer a broad curriculum or high visibility short courses will suffer. This means small schools, schools in rural areas and schools in disadvantaged areas will suffer.
• Some existing subjects could be downgraded or marginalised.
• There will be problems regarding the management, storage and security of assessment related materials.
• There is a real threat of an increased, bureaucratic workload that will deflect teachers from their core teaching role
• Principal teachers will experience a significant increase in administrative workload.
• The multiplicity of overlapping assessment events will increase pressure on an already overstretched and overworked teaching population. It will also significantly increase the pressure on students.
• The proposed changes take no account of the existing heavy workloads of teachers, including work being completed at home. The planned changes will result in further encroachment into teachers’ personal/family time.
• If teachers are to assume the role of marking their own students for certification, TUI is concerned that there will be a deterioration in the pupil/teacher, teacher/parent relationship.
• The terminal examination is a motivating focal point. Its removal may demotivate students.
• The removal of a terminal state examination at Junior Cycle will impair student capacity to choose subjects for Senior Cycle and will remove the experience of sitting a state examination.