Leaving Cert reform a ‘bone of contention’ with teachers – Cllr
Cavan Councillor and secondary school teacher, Áine Smith, told a meeting of CMETB that the Government’s senior cycle reforms are “a real bone of contention for teachers at the moment”.
She raised the issue at the May meeting of the Cavan Monaghan Education and Training Board in Cavan Institute last week, where she has the CMETB executive for clarity on the matter.
The Irish language teacher pointed out to the board that, although the new proposals are being put to the teachers’ unions for debate, “if we don’t agree with it, we lose a five per cent pay increase on the table.”
Cllr Smith said new regulations about the use of Artificial Intelligence is of particular concern and already students of her subject are using Chat GPT for their coursework and homework.
The ambitious reforms are due to roll out from next September and include revising subjects to ensure there is less emphasis on written exams and more on project work or assessments worth a minimum of 40 per cent of the total grade.
The changes have sparked criticism among teachers’ unions who argue that the changes pose a threat to education standards, fairness and equality. Although Cllr Smith conceded the new AI tool “doesn’t do a bad job at all” in her subject, she worries about what it will mean for learning in the future.
“AI is always going to be ahead of the teachers and students,” Cllr Smith said.
“I think people think that schools or the Department will have other resources to counteract AI but, I don’t know how any agency could keep ahead of it because, so far, AI is leading the way,” she continued.
Cllr Smith say teachers want the Leaving Cert, which is 100 years old, and the senior cycle curriculum reformed but with proper planning and adequate training for teachers.
And “students must be at the heart of any changes” she added.“We welcome the change to continued assessment, but AI has changed everything, and experts are needed to develop a curriculum that is AI proof, somehow. They need to listen to teachers, parents and students on any proposed changes.
“There is too much going on in education like teaching the curriculum from 9 until 4pm every day, student wellbeing, anti-bullying measures and more for teachers to be expected to take the AI challenge on and roll out changes to the senior cycle without proper training and guidance.
“And, what’s more, teachers feel bullied into taking it on with the message coming from unions that if we don’t accept the changes, we will be denied the pay rise offered to us in the pay talks.”