Thousands of students who planned to sit the Leaving Cert exams were left hanging after the teachers’ union pulled out of talks with the Department of Education.
The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) said that the new plan, which will see calculated grades being the dominant option, and the Leaving Cert exams filling in assessment gaps, was "unacceptable" as it will see students preparing for two versions of the exams.
ASTI General Secretary Kieran Christie said: "We entered a process in good faith to explore the position whereby if the Leaving Certificate or elements of it do not go ahead, a fair and credible choice or option would be available to students.
“It is clear to us that the approach being developed would not provide the meaningful Leaving Certificate experience this cohort of students deserve.
He added: “The process is being developed in a manner that would see the Leaving Certificate relegated to a secondary position with Calculated Grades the premier option. The lack of data this year would make the delivery of a credible Calculated Grades process extremely challenging.
“Given the widely accepted additional stress that students are currently experiencing, it is extraordinary that the only option being explored is that they would effectively prepare for two versions of a Leaving Certificate rather than one.
“We are calling for the Minister to re-establish the focus of the talks so that a meaningful Leaving Certificate experience is provided to this cohort of students, which they rightly deserve.”
The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) said that they were "shocked" and "disappointed" by ASTI's decision.
A spokesman said: "This statement has caused stress, anxiety and worry to skyrocket amongst students. It is adding fear into an already high pressure situation, and the delivery of clarity for students has been further pushed out due to this breakdown in talks."
He added that the ISSU had repeatedly asked to meet with the ASTI over the past number of weeks but the teacher's union has "still not accepted this invitation”.
The Department of Education issued a statement saying it was " both taken aback and disappointed at the ASTI's decision".
A spokesman added: "At no stage of discussions today did the ASTI indicate its intention to take this action.
"The Minister and her officials will continue to engage with all education representative bodies, including the teacher unions, to provide Leaving Certificate examinations and a corresponding measure for examination students.
"Fairness and certainty for the class of 2021 is at the centre of what we want to achieve in these engagements. We are happy to engage with all concerned to achieve this objective."
