Cork teachers to protest 'poorly thought out' Leaving Cert changes

Leaving Certificate reforms have been “very poorly thought out” and could cause additional stress as well as inequity between students, a Cork teacher has said.

1,573 Cork secondary teachers across 52 schools will take part in a nationwide lunchtime protest outside schools today, seeking a delay in the implementation of Senior Cycle redevelopment.

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) has said that service to students will not be affected by the protest. Siobhán O’Donovan, a member of the ASTI standing committee executive and an English teacher in Patrician Academy in Mallow, said that the proposed reforms were being rushed.

Ms O’Donovan explained that the plans involved “the reduction from two papers to one in English, and replacing one with an Additional Assessment Component or AAC, essentially a project.

“The thinking behind it is that it will introduce more continuous assessment, but the problem with AACs is they can be done at home by the students,” she said.

“Depending on their background, there will be varying levels of assistance and technologies available to them – I would have been great help to my children in English and French but that’s not the same for all kids which isn’t fair.”

Ms O’Donovan said the reforms are intended to “take away the stress of terminal exams”, but that students have told her this will simply “spread the stress over two years”, as they will have to work on six or seven projects worth 40% of their grade, with some due to be turned in while they are in fifth year.

“I’d have a huge concern that while they’re preparing for these AACs, their whole focus will be on getting that right, and the rest of their work will fall by wayside.”

Ms O’Donovan explained that she has worked as a State examiner for 30 years. “Each year I am blown away by the quality of the work — but it takes two years to develop,” she said, adding that the current process is “open and transparent” but if work is brought home, AI could be used to complete it.

Science teachers, who will be among the first to teach the new syllabus, “haven’t had 10 minutes of training” on it, she claimed, saying “there’s a lack of funding and training — it all feels very rushed and very penny pinching”.

“Some schools have fabulous state of the arts laboratories, then in some schools there’s one lab to be shared, some the facilities just don’t exist – so these projects would result in huge inequity between schools.

“I don’t think classroom teachers are being listened to, and there’s not enough time being given for the changes — we’re not against reform, we’re open to change if it’s something logical and practical that maintains the integrity of the leaving certificate — because the stakes are just too high because of the CAO and points.”

The aim of today’s protest is to raise awareness among parents of the issues, in the hopes they can raise it on the doorstep when the politicians come canvassing ahead of the general election.

“I’m retiring in 10 years and I’d hate to think I’m leaving the system in a worse way than it was when I found it, I’d be doing a disservice,” Ms O’Donovan said.