Strike action mooted over Leaving Cert reforms as Cork teacher says concerns 'aren't going away'

A Cork teacher has said concerns around senior cycle reform “aren’t going away” as both secondary school teachers’ unions have voted to consider industrial action, should the implementation proceed as planned in September.

From September, projects called Additional Assessment Components or AACs and other changes are due to begin rollout on a phased basis under ‘accelerated’ Leaving Certificate reform plans.

Teachers at both the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) and Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) annual congresses this week said there are several key issues of concern: inequity, lack of resources, inadequate training, workload for teachers, and difficulties in authenticating AI.

Talks are ongoing with the department, with Education Minister Helen McEntee saying she hopes to conclude these by May. Protests outside schools in the last year have called for a pause.

Siobhán O’Donovan, ASTI standing committee representative and teacher at the Patrician Academy in Mallow, said they were “disappointed” by the minister saying there will be no pause and the changes will go ahead in September.

“We decided that both unions would propose this motion; we’re working very much in tandem with our sister union the TUI, that if a meaningful response is not achieved from the talks in May then we will ballot on industrial action up to and including strike action — that’s very much a last resort for us,” she told The Echo.

“There’s very serious concern that AACs will be open to manipulation; if a student is completing 40% of their LC at home they could use AI or someone they know.

“I’m an English teacher, would I help my son with his?

“It’s an issue of equity; those that can afford extra help will get it, and why wouldn’t they?”

There are also issues of equity around the resources schools have available, such as technology and equipment, particularly in the case of science AACs, with differences in laboratories in private and public schools.

“Teachers have to authenticate a piece of work and say if it’s done by their student, but if the standard is off and I don’t sign off on it, where do I stand legally if a parent complains?” said Ms O’Donovan.

“This isn’t where teachers want to go — we are our students’ advocates, on their side — this will put us in an insidious position.

“The elephant in the room is stress. The whole premise behind the senior-cycle reform is it will alleviate stress, but they will now be doing projects throughout fifth and sixth year as well as studying for the written exams, and the curriculum isn’t reducing.

“For two years, students will be dealing with stress all the time. In 2027 you could see sixth-year students having meltdowns with all the work.”

Ms O’Donovan said they were pleased to hear junior-cycle bands were being revised, but that it was a sign their feedback should have been taken seriously sooner.

“It took nearly 15 years for this to change. They called the unfairness of the wider bands an unintended consequence but we knew it as soon as we saw it. Teachers on the ground aren’t being listened to, and it’s far more serious at senior cycle.”