A Protest next Tuesday is being organized by second-level teacher unions, including the TUI and ASTI, in response to the rushed implementation of a redeveloped senior cycle.
Teachers are concerned about the fast pace of change, which they believe is under-resourced and could negatively impact the quality of education, particularly the Leaving Certificate, which remains crucial for entry into third-level education.
Deirdre McDonald from the ASTI told South East Radio that the pressure on students comes from the use of their Leaving Cert results for third-level admissions, and that adding more components to the exam would only increase stress throughout the two years of the senior cycle.
The protest calls for a delay in the rollout of the new senior cycle specifications, proper resourcing, and improvements to facilities like laboratory conditions, which are lacking compared to other European education systems.
