Teachers out in protest over Junior Cert changes

Fears that academic standards will be affected if the changes proposed for the Junior Cert are introduced, led to teachers from all three schools in Mullingar, as well as at other second level schools around the county, staging a lunchtime protest today, Tuesday.

Teachers at Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar Community College and at Loreto College, Mullingar, said their protest was in support of Junior Cert students, as they believe the changes that the government wants to introduce, will reduce the standing of the exam.

Their principal area of concern was over the fact that teachers will now be grading the papers, removing the anonymity that helped protect students against both favouritism or discrimination.

The teachers were members of both major teaching unions, the Teachers' Union of Ireland, and of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland.