Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Since entering office, I have met parents, teacher, school management and student representatives to discuss junior cycle reform. At my invitation, the teacher unions have outlined to me their concerns about aspects of the proposed reforms. In doing so, the unions underlined teacher support for the reforms that will lead to better quality teaching and learning experiences and, thence, outcomes for students. I am considering the concerns raised by teacher representatives and what different forms of engagement might be considered to facilitate an overall agreement. I look forward to meeting the teacher unions again later this month to progress these discussions further. As the Deputy will appreciate, out of respect for the process I do not intend that this engagement should be pre-empted in a public setting, as the ASTI only made a decision yesterday.

As the Deputy pointed out, just under 90% of English teachers have attended the first day of continuing professional development, CPD. A further 172 English teachers have attended elective workshops in their own time. By any standard, this is a high level of take-up and is among the highest rate of attendance at Department-provided CPD.

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