Secondary school teachers have stated their opposition to several key proposals to reform the education system that have been put forward by the government.

A meeting of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) set to take place next week is expected to raise objections to ideas such as more continuous assessment and unannounced inspections, the Irish Times reported.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has proposed several reforms to the Junior and Leaving Certificate systems, which include less reliance on examinations and a greater focus on teacher-based grading, something ASTI has said it will firmly oppose.

Plans to extend unannounced visits by inspectors - which were introduced in primary schools last year - to second-level establishments are also likely to come under fire.

Mr Quinn hopes a conference in September to include the Higher Education Authority and the National Council for Curriculum Assessment will offer firm solutions for improving the Leaving Certificate and points system.

Last month, he told reporters at the MacGill Summer School that one change his department is considering is to offer more points for subjects such as maths and science to encourage more pupils to take challenging courses.

Written by Donal Walsh
 

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