Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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124. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her proposals for progressing with junior certificate reform following the rejection of the proposals by members of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34080/15]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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In light of the issue raised in my question, will the Minister update us on how she plans to proceed?

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I thank the Deputy. I am pressing ahead immediately with implementation. I welcome the strong endorsement of Teachers Union of Ireland, TUI, members and while I have no intention of revisiting the agreed framework, I will engage with the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland, ASTI, to further clarify any issues. Progressing this must be a priority for all. The Framework for Junior Cycle 2015, which I published in August, sets out the wide-ranging and necessary reforms. Students will have a modernised curriculum, better learning experiences and better outcomes. Classroom-based assessments will take place in March-April or September-October 2016 in line with the framework and improved examinations will support better learning. The junior cycle for teachers, JCT, service is now contacting all schools to arrange the in-service training and a programme of seminars and whole-school continuing professional development, CPD, will commence in early November. The JCT will be pragmatic in phasing the training in order that ASTI teachers are scheduled for CPD later in the programme, thereby providing some time for any clarifications to transact.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Fianna Fáil has always been a proponent of trying to reform the junior certificate curriculum and make it one that better serves students' needs. Before this Minister's tenure, when the former Minister, Deputy Quinn, was in the Department, there was a report on his table on foot of widespread consultation conducted under the auspices of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment that involved teachers, the Department and various management partners. Essentially, it included everyone with a stake in it and that proposal and report was available as a basis on which to proceed with reform. However, the former Minister, Deputy Quinn, thought he knew better and the Government thought it alone had the wisdom as to how the education system should be reformed. He arrogantly proceeded with a completely different proposal, which did away altogether with the State examination element of the junior certificate and making it a school certificate. Basically, the former Minister gave teachers an option to take it or leave it. Subsequently, when this Minister came to power, she reverted back to the proposals in the initial report that had been on the desk of the former Minister, Deputy Quinn, and, again, she issued an ultimatum to teachers to take it or leave it. As matters stand, with only three or four months left at most in the Government's term, the Minister has been left with it and junior certificate reform at present is in a less healthy position than when the Government came to office four and a half years ago.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Thank you Deputy.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Members must see more from the Minister in the form of a plan that will get reform back on track and organising training sessions, as the Department of Education and Skills has done previously, to which teachers will not turn up is not the way to do this.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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First, I acknowledge the support of Fianna Fáil for reform, as well as that of practically every partner in education. I note that fewer than 40% of ASTI members have rejected it but apart from that, everybody else in the education sector is in support. I am not by any means abandoning reform but as I told the Deputy, the Department is writing to all schools and will begin CPD in the first week in November. It will start with the ETB schools because members of the TUI will come to training and CPD. I am leaving some space in order to be able to give clarification to the ASTI, if it requires it. However, to be clear, the Department is rolling it out and I expect it will go in accordance with the plans that already have been indicated with regard to subjects moving from English onwards. Moreover, it is not true to state that somehow or other, I did not engage with teachers. I had detailed negotiations on which the leadership of the ASTI signed off, after which its members, by a small majority obviously rejected it. However, that will not stop us.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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It is called democracy Minister.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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A key part of the reason we are in the position in which we find ourselves is the approach the Government has taken. The Government has taken a bullish approach from the outset and drove on regardless of making sure it was done in partnership with those who would implement it. This is why teachers, unfortunately, still do not have faith in what, as the Minister has pointed out, their union leadership negotiated with the Minister. They have lost faith with the Minister, certainly with the former Minister, Deputy Quinn, long before that and in particular, with the Government's commitment and approach to delivering reform overall. I note the Minister's leadership in this regard has not changed. She is still firing on regardless but I implore her to take a conciliatory approach in engaging at all times, to unwind what are the remaining issues, to try in particular to deal with how a major part of the remaining issue is a lack of confidence in the Government and to try to ensure a position is reached in which reform can proceed in a way in which everyone is on board with delivering it.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Is Deputy McConalogue really suggesting that I should abandon this process now that every other partner in education, whether they be school students, parents, management bodies or principals and deputy principals, plus the Teachers Union of Ireland, TUI, whose members voted in much larger numbers in favour of it, is involved because a small number of-----

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister should try to bring everybody with her.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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The ASTI is a bigger union.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister has the floor.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I sat down for many hours with them. The Deputy said I am not being conciliatory. When they announced their results I said we would provide whatever clarification they require, and we will do that. They did indicate that there may be need for clarification. I am happy to do that. I am also happy to begin rolling out the continuing professional development, CPD, in the schools that have TUI membership rather than ASTI membership to give them that-----

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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The Minister cannot do that.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Yes I can, but it is Deputy McConalogue's question so I will answer to Deputy McConalogue. As Deputy McConalogue knows, this reform has been a long time coming and it is my responsibility as Minister for Education and Skills to respond to all the partners in education who want it, to the TUI whose members have voted for it and to the students of Ireland who are central to all of this, and I intend to move forward, but I will provide clarification to the ASTI if they need it.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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The ASTI is the biggest secondary teachers' union.