The Teachers' Union of Ireland has said that if the Minister for Education does not intervene in a meaningful way in the dispute over junior cycle reform, then there could be "days of strike".
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, TUI President Gerry Quinn said a one-day strike before the end of the month is possible.
Talks between teaching unions and the Department of Education on junior cycle reform broke down yesterday.
It has been proposed that 40% of a student’s grade be decided by continuous assessment, but teachers are unhappy about plans to have them assess their own students.
Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan has said she believes references to strike action by teachers' unions are disproportionate.
Also speaking on Morning Ireland, Ms O'Sullivan said she believed she had gone considerably towards the position of the teachers in relation to the issue.
"I don't think I can possibly move further," she said.
She said she believes teachers need to examine carefully what is on offer in relation to the changes to the Junior Cert.
She said she believed the new system would very much improve the quality of the experience in schools.
The minister rejected suggestions that the changes were all about money, and said it would be cheaper to keep the existing system in place.
