The Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, has been accused of being out of touch with current teaching methods in his call for reforms.
Mr Dempsey claimed teaching was still being carried out in the traditional manner, "going back as far as the hedge schools".
In an interview with the Sunday Tribune, he said it was now possible for children to use computers at home to read up on a subject and learn elements not covered by the curriculum.
"Yet there you have the teacher at the top of fifth and sixth class supposedly acting as the fount of all knowledge."
The Irish National Teachers Organisation general secretary, Mr John Carr, said the Minister's comments showed he was "out of touch with what is really happening in primary schools".
"The type of teaching to which the Minister refers largely went out with the 1971 curriculum."
Mr Carr said that since then, the 1999 curriculum had changed teaching methods further. "Pupils today are involved in active, co-operative learning with the teacher, providing opportunities for learning, encouragement and inspiration."
He said there were new approaches to language-teaching, science, mathematics and arts.
"Instead of making ill-informed comments like this, the Minister would serve the education system better were he to ensure that it is properly resourced."
Meanwhile, in relation to the row over early closure of schools for Christmas, the general secretary of the Teachers Union of Ireland, Mr Jim Dorney, last night accused Mr Dempsey of trying to renege on payment of benchmarking by placing obstacles in the way.
He said any breach of the standardised school year was the fault of school management bodies and not teachers.
