Teachers offered 16 training days for junior cycle programme

Secondary teachers are to be offered an average of 16 in-service training days to help them adjust to the new junior cycle programme under a new road map for its implementation.

Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan announced details of the revised plan at a seminar with school management bodies and other stakeholders, despite the unions’ continuing industrial action.

Ms O’Sullivan said she could not “wait indefinitely” for the unions’ support “and I cannot entertain further efforts to seek to erode essential elements of the new programme”.

While the unions have instructed members to refuse to participate in Continuing Professional Development, Ms O’Sullivan pointed out that in just three weeks 1,200 teachers had accessed the new “Junior Cycle for Teachers” website, jct.ie.

An online planning seminar for English teachers took place this week, with space for 100 teachers to take part, and “that seminar was oversubscribed,” she said.

In a sharp response, however, the ASTI and TUI said in a joint statement it was "extraordinary and unacceptable" that the Minister was proceeding to implement the reforms without their agreement.