Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I agree with many of those who have spoken tonight. There is no huge disparity between both sides of the House, but there are difficulties in the system. We are in favour of reform. Deputy Joanna Tuffy has suggested there has been a change in Sinn Féin's position, but we have not changed our position. I was spokesperson for Sinn Féin on education before Deputy Jonathan O'Brien and there is continuity in what we have been saying. We believe the system needs change. We also agree, as Deputy John Lyons said, that the idea of a child sitting an examination that might change the direction of their life or education on a day that might be a bad one for him or her needs to be changed. That is wrong. We agree, therefore, with the concept of continuous assessment, but the difficulty lies with where it stops. That is the difficulty for teachers also.

The Taoiseach said this morning that the only people who would suffer as a result of the strike tomorrow were pupils. He is wrong, as usual. It will affect not only pupils but also teachers. They will lose out. Parents will also be affected and may have to rearrange their work schedules. The strike will impact on people and teachers are not taking this step lightly. I genuinely believe they want to see the best process for their students. The issue is about the capacity of teachers to do their work. It is also about an examination system that is impartial, fair and standardised. It is about relationships. It is not only about the relationship between teachers and the Minister but about relationships within the classroom. It is about the relationship between the teacher, the pupil and his or her parents. The changes the Minister proposes to force through, against the advice of teachers, are going to change this dynamic hugely. We will have a situation where some students will say: "That teacher never liked me and that is why he gave me a bad mark." We can all imagine that scenario. This will put pressure on teachers, particularly those in a small school or community. The difficulty is not with the concept of continuous assessment. The teachers to whom I have talked and their unions do not have a problem with it. The difficulty concerns the final arbiter and examination of pupils' work. It also concerns the standard to be applied. People want a standard that will apply across the system. The advantage of the current system is that it provides for that standard.

We all agree that change needs to happen, but we disagree with some of the proposed elements of that change. As was said this morning, the Minister needs to step back and look again at the issue as we need a fresh approach. We all agree that we need to move away from rote learning. This is part of the curriculum for change and we do not have a problem with it. Students' future prospects should not depend on how they respond in one or two particular examinations. We agree that change needs to happen, but it must be managed and agreement must be sought on everything. This is an issue that must be discussed collectively. It is not just about a decision made by the Minister that this is the way forward. She needs to get teachers on board.

People ask why teachers are going on strike. They believe they are doing it for the benefit of their students. It is not a case of individuals within unions deciding on this approach. It has been voted on by the membership of the teacher unions. The collective view of the teachers, whom we imagine know their pupils and the system better than anyone, is that this is the only way forward. Everybody is on board and agrees that reform and continuous assessment are the right way forward. However, teachers believe the current proposals in regard to the final examination are not in the best interests of their students. They are concerned and not alone in their view that assessment of students by their teachers will undermine and detract from the system. That is why they are going on strike.

The Minister's proposal will also result in profound change by removing the ability of teachers to advocate on behalf of their students. This is another crucial issue, which has not been addressed by anyone. There are fears that this could result in the status of the certificate varying from school to school. There is common agreement that every student is entitled to a fair, impartial and transparent junior cycle examination system. Is the strike happening because the Minister does not want to be seen to be weak on this issue or does she genuinely believe this is the way forward?

There is still a lack of information about how the new framework will work on the ground. Teachers of English who are now required to implement the framework for junior cycle English specification received just one day of in-service training prior to September 2014. I welcome the fact that the Minister went into negotiations with teachers but there is intransigence and she is not responding to the concerns of teachers. In the days to come, instead of addressing the issue, the teachers will be blamed and painted into a corner as being unreasonable on the matter and that is not the case. Teachers are not doing this for selfish reasons but rather to ensure a high level of educational standards and positive student-teacher-parent relationships are maintained.

A strike is pending tomorrow but even at this late stage, there is still potential for change and the Minister needs to go back to the negotiations and talk to the teachers. Teachers are not in a vacuum. They are members of society as well. They have experienced in their own workplaces many of the cuts that have been introduced by the Government. While the strike is about the changes that are being forced on them, it is also about many of the enforced changes that were introduced in the education system. We all accept that the need for the goodwill of teachers is a key component of the system and, unfortunately, that goodwill has been tested repeatedly in recent years. In many cases, teachers are saying they have done enough in the context of extracurricular activity, changes to the system and doing short courses. Many schools are at breaking point and teachers are under huge stress not only in the context of resources but also in the difficulties being experienced in the community that are also reflected in the classroom. They say there is no sense coming from the Department of the difficulties being created in schools and the additional pressures on them.

Education policy should not be based on cherry-picking. The system needs to change. I ask the Minister to revisit the issue as a matter of urgency and to come at this difficulty even at this late hour with a new and fresh approach to reform. The Minister said last night that Sinn Féin has changed its position on this issue but we have not. We are in favour of reform, as are the teachers and many educationalists., but what the Minister is trying to force through is a step too far for teachers and it undermines the credibility of the system in their view. That is why they will go on strike tomorrow. My worry is the strike may escalate. Regardless of what happens tomorrow, the Minister will still have to go into negotiations with teachers. We cannot support changes to a system that lumps more work on overburdened teachers in schools. The goal is more about cutting departmental expenditure than about enhancing pupil education. The system proposed by the Minister will not work and she needs to wake up to that reality.

I welcome the fact that many Members have engaged in the debate. There is not a huge gap between what we are saying and what others are saying.

See this speech in context