Minister for Education Norma Foley has said she "absolutely understands" the concerns of teachers around changes to the senior cycle but she does not want to delay on introducing them.
Minister for Education Norma Foley has said she "absolutely understands" the concerns of teachers around changes to the senior cycle but she does not want to delay on introducing them.
Her comments come as secondary teachers protest today over concerns about proposed reforms to the Leaving Certificate which they want to see delayed.
Minister Foley said she believes many teacher' concerns are founded on their experience of the Junior cycle when changes were introduced.
She said she wants to give reassurance to teachers they are prepared for this change.
"We have already got 10,000 teachers who have already begun their training. The training begins at least a year in advance before they commence in September of 2025."
She said the guidelines are also being issued "well in advance" this December and two sets of exam papers will be made available in April for each one of the subjects.
"That is hugely important for teachers….So all of the issues that have emerged in the past I’d like to think I’ve learned from them."
She defended not delaying on the changes saying there is a need for a curricula that "is fit for purpose" and that will teach students the skillsets that they require.
"If we want them to compete on the international stage we have to have curricula that is fit for purpose."
She said it will also reduce pressure for students, parents and staff by not having the focus on one exam in June.
Second level teachers will protest outside schools at lunchtime to push for a delay to Leaving Certificate reforms they say risk undermining educational standards and fairness for students.
The demonstrations, in which teacher unions say more than 30,000 of their members will participate in, are in response to a decision to accelerate plans for a complete overhaul of Senior Cycle education.
Under the redevelopment programme, the next five years will see the introduction of several completely new subjects and modules, and the revamping of all existing subjects to include non-exam-based assessment components worth at least 40% of overall marks.
The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) and the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) say teachers are concerned that the changes will lead to inequities between schools because of a lack of adequate facilities and resources in many.
The unions are calling for a delay to implementation of the redevelopment programme so that their concerns can be addressed.
Today’s protests, which are taking place outside all schools or centres where Leaving Certificate programmes are delivered, will not affect classes for students or other student activities.
The unions say teachers are not opposed to redevelopment of senior cycle programmes. But they say it is vital that sufficient resources are allocated equitably across all schools and centres; that any changes to subjects/specifications are not rushed through, are of educational benefit to students, and are based on the professional views of the teachers who deliver the programmes.
They are also calling for "comprehensive and fully informed in-service training [for] all teachers well in advance of implementation".
TUI President David Waters said: "Today, we are highlighting our serious concerns about the rapid nature of Senior Cycle redevelopment and the significant negative educational impact that may ensue for tens of thousands of students."
"Teachers are not opposed to the redevelopment of the Senior Cycle. However, to be successful, it must be educationally sound and the appropriate resources must be made available."
ASTI President Donal Cremin said: "Teachers are committed to curriculum change that promotes equity in education, responds to changes in wider society and protects education standards."
However he said the decision to accelerate the redevelopment process "has led to huge concerns amongst teachers about hastily developed curriculum and a failure to put in the resources students and teachers require prior to implementation".
The unions are not calling for the postponement of the new pilot subjects Drama, Film, and Theatre Studies and Climate Action and Sustainable Development which are being rolled out from next September.
Two months ago, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) published revised curriculums for nine existing Senior Cycle subjects, including Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Business, to be introduced in schools in September of next year for students entering 5th year.
Each of the newly revised subjects will have an assessment component - for projects completed over the course of a school year - worth at least 40% of overall marks.
The NCCA continues to work on a second tranche of subject and module revisions planned for introduction in schools in September 2026. There are seven Leaving Certificate subjects and modules in this tranche, including English.
Three further tranches of subjects, involving 26 subjects, are scheduled to undergo revision for introduction in schools in 2027, 2028, and 2029.
A new Transition Year Programme Statement and a new Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) specification for Senior Cycle have also been published, as well as entirely new progammes for some students with special educational needs for whom existing Leaving Certificate programmes are not suitable.
Minister Foley announced an acceleration of implementation in September 2023.
She said additional resources were being provided to support a range of curricular reforms, including Senior Cycle Redevelopment.
Schools were advised in May of a schedule for the provision of sample assessment materials to support planning and professional learning with the first element due for publication this month and sample exam papers to follow in Spring, she said.
"This will give them over two years before their students are examined and several months before any student begins 5th year in one of the new or updated subjects," she added.