Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 October 2016
164. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of junior certificate students that may be affected by the ongoing industrial relations issues in secondary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29729/16]
View answerJunior Certificate students who are taught English by teachers who are members of the ASTI will not undertake Classroom Based Assessments. (CBAs). Since the completion of the second CBA is linked to the written Assessment Task these students cannot complete that Assessment Task. This means that the student’s Assessment Task will not be sent to SEC and the SEC can only mark the student out of the 90% of the marks that are awarded for the Final Examination in June 2017.
Officials from my Department recently met with the ASTI on this matter, where the position regarding the written assessment task was made very clear. In cases where the assessment task is not completed the State Examinations Commission cannot award any marks in respect of this mandatory component. Therefore, candidates for Junior Cycle English in 2017 who do not complete the assessment task can only be marked and graded based on a maximum of 90% of the available marks.
I recently requested the ASTI to provide an immediate derogation from their directive for current teachers of English, while talks between my Department and the union proceed, in order that current Third Year English students of ASTI members are no longer unfairly and unjustifiably disadvantaged. A response is awaited.
