A PROPOSAL to limit the number of Junior Certificate subjects students sit exams in to eight will be put in place in 2014, Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has said.
Mr Quinn announced yesterday that the reduced number of subjects students sit will apply to those pupils who first enter secondary school in 2014.
This means that the first cohort of students sitting the reduced-subject Junior Cert exam will do so in 2017.
The eight-subject limit will now be introduced as part of a wider Junior Cert reform which is due to be introduced on a phased basis in schools from 2014.
At the moment the bulk of those who sit the exams sit between nine and 10 exams but some take more.
Speaking yesterday Mr Quinn said there would be no obligation on schools to limit the number of subjects for students enrolling in 2012 or 2013 but that they could opt to do so if they wished.
“If schools can limit the number of exam subjects for students enrolling in next year or the year after, then I encourage them to do so. This will allow more time for literacy and numeracy and assist in the planning for the change that is coming anyway in 2014,” he said at the national conference of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals of second level schools in Killarney.
The move to delay the introduction of the eight-subject exam has been welcomed by teachers’ unions. The general secretary of the Teachers Union of Ireland, Peter MacMenamin said that, in making this announcement Mr Quinn had avoided “chaos” in schools next year and would allow consultation to further investigate concerns with regard to the move.
“We must avoid a situation where students would not be in a position to select the subjects which they have the most interest or ability in for examination. This could lead to a diminution of performance from those deprived of examination in their areas of interest and ultimately, a skills deficit in the country,” he said.
ASTI general secretary Pat King welcomed the move. “It makes no sense whatsoever to implement, on its own, a single proposal which is inextricably linked to the overall proposals. We appreciate that the Minister listened to our concerns in this regard,” he said. “We welcome today’s announcement in so far as it addresses a very real concern expressed by teachers.
“We now ask that the Minister, in examining the NCCA proposals for Junior Cert reform, gives due consideration to the other significant concerns of teachers as identified by the ASTI,” he said.