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Minister Quinn calls on second level teacher unions to engage constructively on the JCSA

Minister says unions should move beyond protest and towards active engagement in resolving any outstanding issues relating to the JCSA for the good of students

The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., has expressed his disappointment at the announcement by second level teacher unions that they are to engage in a lunchtime protest on March 11th over the new Junior Cycle Student Awards (JCSA).

The Department of Education & Skills (DES) officials are consulting with the education partners through a Working Group set up by the Minister to address concerns relating to the long over-due reform of the junior cycle. The partners include parents, school management, leadership, teacher unions and DES officials.

The ASTI and the TUI have not set out any proposals to address their concerns on the JCSA, despite having two meetings of the Working Group since January and several meetings of sub-groups.

“I am asking the unions to come to the table with concrete proposals to address the concerns they say they have over the new JCSA. Despite repeated requests from officials to do exactly that, the unions have so far not engaged constructively,” said Minister Quinn.

“It is now time for them to move beyond expressions of frustration and calls of protest to using the forums which have been especially created to address their concerns.”

“I have listened to their concerns. I have changed the pace of the roll-out of the new JCSA and increased the training available to schools and teachers. I acknowledge that there are outstanding issues around resources and assessment, but the Working Group is the right forum to address this – not protest groups outside the school gates.”

“This lunchtime action is premature, particularly given the unions have signalled their intention to ballot on industrial action relating to the JCSA,” said Minister Quinn.

“Given the unions continued resistance to reforming the junior cycle, it seems clear to me that they are intent on keeping a high stakes exam system for our 15 year olds, which places unacceptable pressures on young people and their families.”

“We don’t need such a pressurised exam system. Thankfully young people are not leaving school at 15. We don’t want them to. Rather we want to capture all the talents and abilities of our young people over the first three years of second level education and the new JCSA will do that,” Minister Quinn concluded.

Meetings of the Working Group and its sub-groups aimed at addressing any outstanding concerns of the education partners will continue as planned.