Radical curriculum change must be accompanied by a parallel process of engagement with the teaching profession, ASTI General Secretary Kieran Christie told the union’s annual conference in Cork today.
Mr Christie said that if teachers are expected to drive education reform in schools, they must be involved in its development and their concerns must be listened to.
“Teachers deserve to have their professional knowledge and experience respected and to have their concerns listed to. This is the way forward in ensuring that teachers have confidence in any new curriculum model.”
“We want quality reform which is the best interest of the students we teach and the system we work within; reform that supports teaching and learning”
Mr Christie added that the recent dispute between teachers and the Department of Education and Skills over the Junior Cycle “underlines the fact that substantial change to teachers’ professional work requires agreement – not imposition.”
Speaking to approximately 450 teachers at the annual conference today, the ASTI General Secretary also said equal pay for recently qualified teachers is the union’s number one priority:
“We will not stop until the discriminatory treatment of post 2010 teachers is put to an end. Teachers who are five and six years teaching have already lost out significantly in terms of their pay. It is a public scandal and we can never let up until it is fully addressed.”
Click here to view Speech.
Ends
