Jim D'Arcy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As regards the ASTI's rejection of the Haddington Road agreement, I appeal to the ASTI not to do anything that would be detrimental to the education of our children. There is no way forward for the ASTI at the moment concerning the Haddington Road agreement because if the Government reopened it for the ASTI, the floodgates would open. Nevertheless, teachers have been subject to a significant diminution of their resources. They have a difficult job teaching adolescents who, as well as having great gifts, bring all the problems of society to the classroom. Future Governments should roll back on the changes as soon as economic conditions permit.

One problem that could be looked at concerns the abolition of the junior certificate. Teachers feel they do not currently have enough time or resources to implement the new junior certificate, given all the form filling and record keeping involved. The junior cycle is not part of the Haddington Road agreement. It would therefore be worthwhile if the Government and ASTI leaders met to discuss how the new junior cycle could be implemented without the problems involved in it. In the meantime, I appeal to the ASTI to suspend all action, if possible, to see if progress can be made on that matter.