The Leaving and Junior Cert exams will go ahead despite opposition to the Government’s contingency plan to provide cover for striking secondary teachers, a spokesman for the Department of Education said today.
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The Education Minister is resolute the exams will go ahead
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The contingency plan, prepared in recent months, is being activated after the decision by ASTI to reject the Labour Court recommendation on its 30 per cent pay claim.
The Department has not publicly outlined the plan but has made it known it intends to advertise for exam supervisors next week and for exam correctors over the coming month.
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But the plan has met with strong opposition, with primary teachers, principals and lecturers indicating they would not participate.
The TUI has recommended its members should not participate and is to hold a ballot next week on the issue.
The latest blow to the government plan came yesterday when Union of Students in Ireland president Mr Julian de Spáinn said he did not want third-level students to correct and supervise the Leaving Cert.
The Department today remained confident the plan would go ahead. Spokesman Mr Brian Duggan said: "The Minister [for Education, Dr Woods] and the Government are resolute the exams will take place and the Department will do everything in its power to ensure that they do."
According to ASTI spokeswoman Ms Gemma Tuffy, the dispute cannot move forward unless a pay offer is made.
She told ireland.com: "The Government has forced us into this position. All that is needed is a pay offer. In our view it is the Government who is holding children to ransom."