Teachers’ union the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) has agreed to further engagement with the Department of Education in a bid to resolve the Leaving Cert issue.
The union said it had held a “constructive” meeting with Education Minister Norma Foley on Friday afternoon.
In a statement the union said: “ASTI representatives had constructive engagement with the Minister for Education Norma Foley and her officials today.
“More work is being done with a view to finding a resolution to the impasse.
“The ASTI will not be commenting further at this time.”
Earlier on Friday, Minister Foley urged the union to begin fresh talks on the format of this year's Leaving Certificate exams after the union pulled out of talks yesterday evening.
Minister Foley expressed her confidence that the collective wisdom of all stakeholders can ensure that a pathway forward can be found
The Minister invited the ASTI and the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) to attend separate meetings with her at the Department of Education today, aimed at getting discussions back on track.
In a statement, the Department of Education said: “Minister Foley expressed her confidence that the collective wisdom of all stakeholders can ensure that a pathway forward can be found.
“Discussions continued with all the other partners today and will continue throughout the weekend.
“The Minister again reiterated her commitment to providing clarity and certainty to students at the earliest possible time.”
Withdrew
The ASTI withdrew from talks on Thursday saying plans for students to prepare for both calculated grades and written exams were “unacceptable”, with the union adding it would resume discussions if it was given the guarantee that talks would focus on planning for exams.
The ASTI's decision to withdraw from talks was met with criticism, as the Irish Second-Level Student's Union (ISSU) said they were “shocked and disappointed” that the teacher's union would walk away.
On Friday morning, the Labour Party's education spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin called for the union to return to talks, saying the entire process was better served by the union being present.
TUI president, Martin Marjoram, said it remained committed to the process to find a solution for this year's Leaving Cert.
Mr Marjoram said TUI members were “eager for a quick conclusion” to provide certainty to both staff and students.
