Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Secondary school teachers throughout the State have today embarked on their second day of strike action on the issue of junior cycle reform with the prospect of a third day of industrial action looming large. I am sure the Tánaiste will agree that this causes huge disruption for families, students and teachers. She will also appreciate that the mock leaving and junior certificate examinations are not far away and that this will, undoubtedly, add pressure to students and teachers. The current situation is testament to the Government's failure to engage constructively and positively with teachers on the issue of junior cycle reform. There is consensus that reform needs to happen and that a model of continuous assessment needs to be adopted, but the disagreement revolves around the Government's insistence that teachers mark and grade their own students. I cannot understand the Government parties' insistence on this when teachers who are the professionals and experts in the sector have told them clearly about the difficulties to which this will give rise. If they persist, teachers say the current situation risks damaging their relationship with their students, but, perhaps more importantly, it also runs the serious risk of damaging the credibility of the State examinations and qualifications. Why is the Government being so unreasonable? Why has it not sorted out this matter? Why will it not heed the concerns and insights of the teaching profession?

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