Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Unfortunately, since the Minister announced his intentions in this regard, his door has not been open. The initial National Council for Curriculum and Assessment working group report on the future of junior certificate reform advocated that the 60% examination part of the new junior cycle student award should be independently marked. The Minister made a unilateral decision not to accept this recommendation. At the teachers' conferences last year he described junior certificate reform as a person political project. The result of his approach to this matter is that teachers are refusing to co-operate and there is talk of further industrial action by them in the autumn. As pointed out by the Minister of State, reform of the second level system is very much needed. However, it is being bogged down and brought into question by the approach being taken by the Minister. One of the key issues is independent assessment. It is time the Minister opened his door and worked with others in coming up with a solution and that he take on board the views of parents, teachers and students on independent assessment and incorporated it into the very much needed reform of the junior cycle system.

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