Sir, – The three characteristics of classical professionalism are professional knowledge base, altruistic service and professional autonomy. Therefore, any initiative that promotes teachers' professional autonomy has the potential to promote the profession. The Junior Cycle reforms as outlined in the 2012 document A Framework for Junior Cycle offer significantly increased professional autonomy to teachers with respect to the assessment of their students at Junior Cycle level. While acknowledging the considerable demands placed on teachers in these times of austerity with increased workloads and requests to do more and more with an awful lot less, it is important to embrace such opportunities for enhanced professional autonomy.
The teaching unions, the TUI and the ASTI are going to ballot members to seek a mandate for a series of actions in relation to the Junior Cycle proposals. A TUI newsletter dated January 24th states: “The union remains gravely concerned by the dilution of standards inherent in the proposals, particularly in the shift away from external moderation and national certification”.
With such substantial reforms as this, it is essential the TUI, the ASTI and their members demand greater resources and fight for teachers’ continuing professional development needs. However, it is also important they do not call for anything that could, in time, lead to the deprofessionalisation of teaching in Ireland as has come to pass in other international jurisdictions where externally moderated standardised tests have significantly weakened the teaching profession. – Yours, etc,
Dr RAYMOND LYNCH,
Department of Education & Professional Studies,
University of Limerick,
Castletroy, Limerick.