Second-level schools will be unable to cope if the Micheal Martin's plan to overhaul the Junior Certificate goes ahead, according to the ASTI. The Minister for Education has said that, in order to encourage more students to stay on at school and complete the Leaving, a thorough overhaul of the Junior Cert is necessary.John White, assistant general secretary of the ASTI, said: "The Minister's call cannot be accommodated. Schools have made and are continuing to make extraordinary efforts to adapt curriculum to meet the changing needs of society and pupils. Schools are now experiencing change fatigue and overload."In recent years the second-level school curriculum has been completely reformed and new programmes have been introduced.

According to White, in 1995 there were only 53 schools taking the Leaving Certificate Applied, but this year 174 schools will offer the programme. Similarly, the number of schools offering the restructured Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme has risen from 126 to 440 in the same period, he said.Two ago, Martin announced that he wanted at least 90 per cent of all 17 to 19 year olds to take the Leaving Certificate by the year 2000. Some 84 per cent of that age group now sits the exam.