Additional reporting by Vivienne Clarke.
The Minister for Education Norma Foley has urged the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) to begin fresh talks on the format of this year's Leaving Certificate exams after the union pulled out of talks yesterday evening.
Ms Foley has invited the ASTI and the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) to attend separate meetings with her at the Department of Education today, according to the Irish Examiner, aimed at getting discussions back on track.
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 they would resume discussions if they were given the guarantee that talks would focus on planning for exams.
This 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.
"The ASTI waling away is not helping," Mr Ó Ríordáin told RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, adding they should return to help address the "very unfortunate circumstances" surrounding this year's exams.
He added the Leaving Cert uncertainty had gone on for too long and was unfair on students. Nobody was going to get the answers they really wanted he said.
The Dublin Bay North TD added that Ms Foley should have kept to her promise in conducting a review of last year's Leaving Cert, which would have provided helpful data and evidence for this year.
Despite the ASTI's protestations, Mr Ó Ríordáin said he supported calculated grades with the option of sitting a written exam if a student was not happy with the calculated grade. That was never going to be and easy decision he added.
"Nobody can guarantee wen there could be a written exam," Mr Ó Ríordáin said.
'Committed to the process'
Speaking to the same programme, the Teachers Union of Ireland's (TUI) president, Martin Marjoram said they remain committed to the process to find a solution for this year's Leaving Cert.
It was essential that the expertise of teachers inform the process and that they not be passive participants, he said, adding: “We've remained in the process because we think we can influence it.”
While Mr Marjoram said he believed a solution would be different from last year’s Leaving Cert, he refused to be drawn on details of the negotiations saying it was not appropriate to debate them on the airwaves.
He said the union understood there needed to be a contingency plan in the event written exams could not go ahead, adding it was important for students there was an outcome that would not be torn up afterwards, he said.
Mr Marjoram said TUI members were "eager for a quick conclusion” to provide certainty to both staff and students.
'Shocked and disappointed'
The ASTI's decision had already been 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 from talks.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the ISSU said: "This is a time when students need cooperation between all stakeholders.
"Students have been through a horrendous year and now may face an uphill battle in the months ahead - we need to show them compassion, we need to provide clarity, and the ISSU position remains that students deserve a choice."
Echoing the ISSU, the Department said it was "both taken aback and disappointed", adding: "At no stage of discussions [on Thursday] did the ASTI indicate its intention to take this action."
The Department said Ms Foley will continue to engage with all stakeholders to provide "fairness and certainty".
