Quinn: Radical reforms will end ‘teaching to the test’
October 5, 2012
Education Minister Ruairi Quinn says his plan for the Junior Certificate will benefit students and mean teachers are no longer under pressure to “teach to the test”.
His radical changes will see junior cycle students examined entirely by schools instead of the State.
He has largely rubber-stamped the reforms proposed last November to change the focus of the junior cycle to learning instead of preparing students for a final exam.
However, he went beyond what the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) advised him by deciding all elements of the Junior Certificate will eventually be set and marked by students’ teachers instead of by the State Examinations Commission.
He said regular in-school assessment at lower second-level was a feature of the best education systems.
The other main elements will include:
* Most students sitting exams in eight to 10 subjects;
* The option to take up to four short courses, with marks in two to be used in place of a traditional subject;
* Final exams will be worth 60% of total marks and, except for English, Irish, and maths, will be taken in normal school time in May;
* A new five-point awards system will replace the traditional system of A, B, etc down to no grade;
* The phased introduction of changes, starting with students entering second-level in 2014, with third-year students in 2020;
* The SEC will eventually withdraw from setting and correcting the Junior Certificate.
However, though Mr Quinn says the plan will liberate teachers and students, and give parents more information on pupils’ achievements, unions have strong concerns.
The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland said it would be grossly naïve to presume a certificate awarded by a school would hold the same status as one awarded by the State, and ending an anonymously marked exam system will impact negatively on perceptions of impartiality and student-teacher relations.
“This is not about being paid to correct exams, we’re angry that there has been no consultation with us, or with parents and school managers. And we don’t have faith that the resources and funding for training or for administering exams in schools will be provided,” said ASTI general secretary Pat King.
The Teachers’ Union of Ireland said there was serious concern about increased workload against a background of slashes to school staffing and other cutbacks.
Mr Quinn rejected the TUI’s assertion that key elements of the plan were driven by budgetary rather than educational rationale. He said significant professional development for teachers and principals would start next year.
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