Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We will now deal with the motions from Deputies Thomas Byrne and Catherine Martin regarding the 10% loss of marks in the junior certificate English exams for students in ASTI-staffed schools.

Before we commence, I advise members that if the motions or amended motions are agreed by the committee, the agreed motion will be reported to both Houses. In addition, the report containing the agreed motion will be sent to the Minister for Education and Skills for a response. Given that we have two motions on the same issue, I propose to ask Deputies Byrne and Martin to move and speak on their respective motions. I will then ask Deputy Daly to move and speak on his amendments to Deputy Byrne's motion. Deputy Byrne submitted his motion first, hence I will take his first and members may ask questions. Following the conclusion of the debate I will put the questions in accordance with standing orders.

Deputy Thomas Byrne has submitted a motion that the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Skills, being concerned that students in ASTI-staffed schools will automatically and unfairly lose 10% in their English exams this academic year, recognises that talks between the Department of Education and Skills and the ASTI are continuing in an effort to resolve this dispute but, despite these talks, the ongoing dispute between the ASTI and the Department over changes to the junior certificate cycle is a significant cause of frustration and concern to students and their families; that the position of the Department of Education and Skills that the students affected by the dispute, but not other students, will automatically lose 10% of their marks through no fault of the students, is deeply unfair to those students and cannot be allowed to happen and is placing an undue burden of stress on the students; and calls on the Minister for Education and Skills to instruct the State Examinations Commission, together with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, co-ordinated by the Department of Education and Skills, to devise and implement this year a new method of assessment for students who will be unable to undertake the classroom-based assessment of their English junior certificate cycle due to the non-co-operation with the junior cycle changes by ASTI members; and to immediately withdraw the threat of the punishment of students by the deduction of 10% from their English exams.

Deputy Catherine Martin has submitted a motion that the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Skills asks the Minister for Education and Skills to move quickly to put in place a plan B to protect those students who might lose out on 10% of their grade in English due to the ongoing dispute between the ASTI and the Government.