86. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline her engagement with stakeholders, including trade unions representing teachers, regarding the proposed reforms for the leaving certificate, as of June 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30862/25]

Sentiment score: 0.03

I would appreciate if the Minister would outline her engagement with stakeholders, including trade unions representing teachers, regarding the proposed reforms to the leaving certificate, as of June 2025, given that last Friday the largest post-primary teacher union in Ireland voted strongly in favour of industrial action over the reforms proposed for September.

Sentiment score: 0.87

I absolutely agree and the Labour Party agrees that reform of the leaving certificate curriculum is necessary. I say that also as a secondary school teacher whose subject, namely, business, will be rolled out in September. It has been just under a week since the vote. Has the Minister spoken to the general secretary of the ASTI since the vote last Friday? There has been an overwhelming majority from the ASTI. Some 68% do not agree with the support measures proposed by the Department and 67% of the 70% turnout of voters stated they are willing to go as far as industrial action to stop leaving certificate reform being implemented in September. This is a clear sign that those on the ground in our classrooms do not agree with leaving certificate reform. Surely the Minister can agree that teachers, who are not in this Chamber and are not policymakers but are the ones teaching the students at the centre of this, do not agree with leaving certificate reform. Does the Minister accept that?

Sentiment score: 0.20

The Minister referred to the TUI. There is a complete divide between post-primary teachers throughout the country on whether or not they have the correct training and whether schools are fully resourced to roll out leaving certificate reform in a mere couple of months' time. I understand packages have been put forward to resource our schools, but we are talking about 100-year-old infrastructure. There are science laboratories that are not resourced and supported and an absence of lab technicians to support teachers. I understand that teachers across the country signed up to this but they were under the pretence that schools would be fully resourced and they would be properly trained. The majority of teachers have no training in AI. The Minister is standing over leaving certificate reform that is 100% going to support children of more affluent families. There is no denying that. They will have the opportunity to receive more grinds, go to external teachers and have better ICT equipment. Children in poor socioeconomic areas will not have those opportunities. Is the Minister willing to stand over that? I cannot believe she is.

Sentiment score: -0.02

The Minister is asking teachers to sign off on that.

Sentiment score: 0.00

There is no indemnity for teachers.

Sentiment score: -0.30

The integrity of the exams will be lost.

Sentiment score: 0.08