TEACHERS’ UNIONS were the dissenting voices amid an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the proposed reform of the Junior Cert announced by Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn yesterday.
Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) general secretary John Mac Gabhann claimed the reforms were driven by budgetary rather than educational reasons.
He also raised concerns about the downgrading of the Junior Cert from a high-stakes exam to an internal school assessment process. “Any changes introduced must maintain the credibility and integrity of the assessment to ensure public confidence,” he said.
The abolition of the Junior Cert as a State examination was described as “deeply regrettable” by the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI).
General secretary Pat King said: “The Junior Cert is seen as having a high status by students, parents and teachers. It is this high status which provides a focus for student motivation, learning and achievement at junior cycle level.
He expressed concern at the idea of replacing the State-awarded Junior Cert with a school-awarded certificate, saying the idea that they could hold the same status was “grossly naive”.
IBEC, the group that represents Irish business, welcomed the reforms. Its head of education policy, Tony Donohoe, said the reform, if handled correctly, “could prove to be the most important education reform of recent years”.
“Business needs employees with the capacity to analyse, communicate, be creative, manage information and work with others. The new curriculum should provide an opportunity to develop these types of attributes and skills from an early age,” he said.
The pledge to introduce standardised testing in the area of science was welcomed by the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland, which has consistently called for science to be made compulsory for Junior Cert students.
The changes were also welcomed by the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD). “There will be some anxiety among the partners, but the principles and values at the heart of the junior cycle framework will stand the test of time and Irish education will be the richer for this reform,” said NAPD director Clive Byrne.
Irish Second-Level Students’ Union education officer Brendan Power said: “The new junior cycle has the capacity to revolutionise the educational experience of future second-level students in Ireland.”