Teachers marking their own students’ Leaving Certificate papers remains one of the targets of senior cycle reform, the Minister for Education has said.
Norma Foley made the comment on Wednesday despite delegates at the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) conference she was visiting in Cork saying any attempt to introduce such a change would prompt a ballot for industrial action.
The Minister said she appreciated the challenges involved for teachers but was adamant that her view fits in with international best practice. She said the matter would be pursued in collaboration with teachers through the partnership forum but that she remains convinced there is “a place” for assessment by teachers.
Earlier, TUI delegates unanimously backed a motion that condemned the lack of consultation on the matter to date and listed the marking by teachers of their own pupils’ papers as one of a number of proposed changes it rejected. They instructed the union’s executive to oppose any move to introduce it and to ballot for strike action if necessary.
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“Teacher-based assessment is a red line issue,” said Kate Hehir of the Co Clare branch proposing the motion. “We vehemently oppose this. It will cause untold damage to our system of assessment. We are a small country and both internal and external pressure will be a factor, we all know what that is.”
Ms Hehir said “schools will compete with each other” under such a system, which would create problems.
“We have seen the damage that inflated grades have done to the system and the same damage will be repeated if we allow the department [to] impose teacher-based assessment on us.”
Former union president Gerry Quinn said a climbdown by Government on the issue was inevitable if teachers take action but “the key thing is to take action [and] we need to take preemptive action, the very minimum of which is to have a ballot immediately”.
TUI president Liz Farrell agreed that the issue is a red line one for members and said if that view is not respected, there will be a ballot for industrial action, up to and including strikes, if the matter is pushed.
“We are very pro a lot of the [senior cycle] reform and redevelopment – what we want is consultation before anything gets anywhere near industrial action.”
Ms Foley insisted teachers would be consulted about any changes and would have a chance “to bring their concerns to the table and how best we can manage them and work collectively in the best interest of the students”.
“While there might be challenges and there might be uncomfortable aspects, it is my absolute intention to work through every step of the way, in a collaborative and co-operative spirit.”
