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Teachers held a one-day strike in December last year over Junior Cycle reform

Strike to close secondary schools tomorrow

Secondary schools are to close tomorrow as teachers strike as part of their opposition to Junior Cycle reform.

Both the TUI and ASTI say that a strike scheduled for 22 January will still go ahead

Talks on Junior Cycle reform planned

Trade unions representing second-level teachers are to meet Department of Education representatives next Wednesday in talks aimed at resolving the dispute over Junior Cycle reforms.

News • 22 Jan 15

Professor Pasi Sahlberg said he understood teachers' concerns about assessing their own students

Finnish educator addresses Junior Cycle reform

Finnish educator Pasi Sahlberg has said teachers in Finland have a clear and strong belief that they and not the state should be assessing students at lower secondary level.

News • 08 Dec 14

Leo Varadkar says the strike on Tuesday will not serve anyone

Varadkar says school strike will not serve anyone

Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has criticised secondary school teachers unions over their planned strike action and said the unions are holding up reform of the Junior Cycle.

News • 30 Nov 14

Around 350,000 students will be affected by the closure of schools as teachers down tools over changes to the Junior Cycle

Teachers' strike looks set to go ahead

ASTI President Phillip Irwin has said teachers need more movement from Minister for Education Jan O'Sullivan in order to avert next Tuesday's strike action.

News • 28 Nov 14

Jan O'Sullivan said she still hoped Tuesday's strike would not go ahead

Minister calls on teachers to cancel strike

Minister for Education Jan O'Sullivan has reiterated her call for teachers' unions not to engage in strike action next Tuesday.

News • 27 Nov 14

Unions say major issues to do with the Junior Cycle remain

No resolution reached in Junior Cycle reform talks

No resolution was reached on the issue of Junior Cycle reform, following a meeting today between the Minister for Education and representatives from teacher unions, with a planned day of strike action set to go ahead in December.

News • 19 Nov 14

The Minister said that she is "absolutely convinced" that school-based assessment is needed

Minister won't budge over Junior Cycle changes

Minister for Education Jan O'Sullivan has said that she will not row-back on the issue of external assessment and has encouraged teachers to re-engage in talks with her.

News • 14 Nov 14

The TUI says it still has serious concerns about aspects of the Government's proposals

Schools may close in Junior Cycle protest

Minister for Education Jan O'Sullivan has said she is disappointed that talks on Junior Cycle reform with the country's two second-level teacher unions have broken down.

News • 11 Nov 14

ASTI votes to extend industrial action over Junior Cycle reforms

ASTI votes to extend action over Junior Cycle

Secondary schools may close for a day after teachers voted to extend industrial action over plans to reform Junior Cycle education.

News • 07 Oct 14

The new Junior Cycle programme is being phased in from September

Minister invites teachers unions to reform talks

The Minister for Education has invited the country's two second-level teacher unions to enter talks regarding his plans for reform of Junior Cycle education.

News • 29 May 14

More than 75% of teachers favour a one-year deferral of the Junior Cert reforms, to give schools time to plan

Teachers say schools not ready for JC reforms

Nine out of ten second-level teachers believe their schools have limited or no capacity to implement proposed Junior Cycle reforms.

News • 16 Apr 14

Irish teens were ranked 22nd compared to 15-year-olds in 44 countries

Irish students average at problem solving

The problem solving abilities of Irish 15-year-olds are average, according to an international study published by the OECD today.

News • 01 Apr 14

The Government plans to phase in a new junior cycle award, which will be graded by students' own teachers

Parents should note junior cycle concern - ASTI

ASTI General Secretary Pat King has said parents should be concerned that 27,000 teachers are resisting plans for the introduction of a new junior cycle award.

News • 27 Mar 14

Teachers' unions have concerns over plans for Junior Cycle reform

ASTI and TUI back action over Junior Cycle

The Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland and the Teachers' Union of Ireland have both voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action in opposition to the proposed introduction of a new Junior Cycle.

News • 26 Mar 14

Teachers say they want to ensure reforms are educationally sound

Teachers protest over new junior cycle plans

Teachers at secondary schools across Ireland protested this afternoon to highlight their concerns over the introduction of a new junior cycle programme.

News • 11 Mar 14

ASTI said no school activities would be disrupted

Teachers to hold school protests over Junior Cycle

Secondary school teachers are to hold lunchtime protests at school gates throughout Ireland to highlight concern at the introduction of a new programme for Junior Cycle education.

News • 21 Feb 14

No dates have yet been set for the ballot over Junior Cycle changes

TUI confirms ballot over Junior Cycle reforms

The Teachers' Union of Ireland has confirmed that it will ballot members on limited industrial action in relation to proposals to change Junior Cycle education in second-level schools.

News • 24 Jan 14

The TUI is concerned that the Government is not listening to calls to slow down the reforms

TUI to ballot members on Junior Cert reform

The Teachers' Union of Ireland has decided to ballot its members on the Government's junior cycle reform proposals.

News • 20 Jan 14

Teacher trade unions and education bodies attended a meeting at the Department of Education

Dept to slow pace of new junior cycle introduction

The Department of Education has said it will slow down the pace at which a new programme covering the first three years of secondary education will be introduced.

News • 17 Jan 14

The committee heard that the new syllabus would lead to many schools dropping history as a subject at Junior Cycle

Concerns Junior Cycle changes will affect history

History teachers and historians have expressed concern about changes in the Junior Cycle that they say will affect the subject of history.

News • 13 Jun 13

Children who are currently in fifth class will be the first to experience the new programme

Consultations on proposed junior cycle changes

Parents have been invited to attend information sessions on proposed changes to junior cycle education at second level.

News • 23 May 13

Junior Cycle