The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) is to ballot members on a new Leaving Certificate reform package, with a further vote concerning industrial action expected should the changes be rejected.
It comes as the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) recommended on Thursday that its members accept the package rather than vote to take industrial action.
Talks on the changes between the two unions and the Department of Education were ongoing until Thursday, after which Minister for Education Helen McEntee said the reforms will “reduce the pressure faced by students”.
A support package finalised by the department following the talks aims to ease the implementation of Leaving Cert reforms, which are due to roll out from next September.
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The ASTI, which represents more than 20,000 second-level teachers, said a ballot will be held in the coming weeks on whether to accept the changes or not.
It said it will ballot members on a campaign of industrial action, up to and including strike action, in the event that the ASTI membership rejects the package finalised following the talks.
The reforms will see students awarded a minimum of 40 per cent for project work or practicals across all subjects in a move aimed at broadening assessment and easing pressure facing students.
Both the ASTI and the TUI have previously described the plans as “rushed” and “flawed”, and agreed last month to ballot for industrial action over the Leaving Cert reforms if agreement could not be reached in talks with the Department of Education.
ASTI president Donal Cremin said the decision to ballot members on the reforms “ensures that classroom teachers will have the final say on the proposals”.
“Members will also decide on how the ASTI will proceed in the event that the proposals are rejected by the ASTI membership,” he said.
