Teachers To Protest On Tuesday Over Senior Cycle Concerns

Wednesday, 13 November 2024 16:20

By Martin Osborne

Organisers have stressed that the protest is designed to minimise disruptions, with demonstrations taking place during lunch breaks to avoid impacting students’ learning time.

Second-level teachers across Kildare will join a nationwide lunchtime protest to voice teachers’ concerns over the Government’s recent decision to "accelerate" changes to the Senior Cycle curriculum.

The planned demonstrations, set to take place outside school campuses nationwide, highlight widespread discontent among educators, with unions estimating that over 30,000 secondary teachers across the country will participate.

Teachers in Kildare and beyond are calling for a delay in implementing the reforms, citing concerns about maintaining education quality, fairness, and system readiness.

According to statements from ASTI and TUI representatives, educators worry that the rapid introduction of the new Senior Cycle model could compromise education standards.

Key concerns include whether current resources and training adequately support the proposed changes and the impact on both teaching quality and student preparedness.

Teachers argue that more time is necessary to assess the structural readiness of Ireland’s secondary education system before moving forward.

Organisers have stressed that the protest is designed to minimise disruptions, with demonstrations taking place during lunch breaks to avoid impacting students’ learning time.

As the November 19 protest approaches, ASTI and TUI are calling on the Department of Education to consider delaying the changes to allow further dialogue and planning.

The unions say teachers are not opposed to the redevelopment of the Senior Cycle but more dialogue is needed.