Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 June 2016
39. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of negotiations with the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland regarding the outstanding dispute over reform of the junior education cycle; to address concerns by students and parents that students in schools staffed by members of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland will lose 10% in English examinations in 2017 due to the lack of a resolution. [18281/16]
View answerStudents currently in second year of Junior Cycle who have not completed their first Classroom-Based Assessment (CBA) will, as agreed with the teacher unions, have the opportunity to complete this early in the first term of the coming school year.
It is a matter of deep regret that ASTI has failed to deliver on the 2015 agreement with their leadership. The refusal to cooperate with the new framework is impacting on current junior cycle students of English.
On foot of a letter received from the General Secretary of ASTI last month, indicating that the ASTI looked forward to engaging with me to resolve issues that are of concern to their members, including junior cycle reform, I met with ASTI last week and had an exchange of views in relation to junior cycle. I advised ASTI that I would welcome further engagement on this matter and I hope that the ASTI will agree to this.
