Ireland’s first ever Climate Justice Charter is here!

Ireland’s first ever Climate Justice Charter is here!

Sign Ireland's First Climate Justice Charter
The young people of the Future Generations Project have created Ireland’s first-ever Climate Justice Charter. This is a major landmark in Ireland’s efforts to embed Climate Justice principles in organisations across the country.
But what is a ‘Charter’?
There are many definitions of the word ‘charter’ but in this case, it refers to a set of principles and guidelines that organisations agree to commit to.
The Agricultural and Rural Affairs Policy Officer from Macra na Feirme, Gillian Richardson said ‘we love that the charter is accessible for every organisation and every group of young people. From young farmers making a living to young people making change, there is something in there for everyone.’
The principles of the charter are written in a way that compliments the work that most organisations are currently doing. It seeks to deepen the whole-organisation approach to Climate Justice without creating more workload. Instead, the charter provides simple guidelines that can be referred to, to ensure a Climate Justice approach is being achieved.
Lee Cummins, Project Leader from Sphere 17 Regional Youth Service, stated that ‘the charter is beneficial for all organisations as it acts as a set of good practice guidelines that allows Sphere 17 to begin to truly embed Climate Justice at all levels – from our board of directors to the young people we work with.’
The Climate Justice movement will require a strong collaborative approach, and so the Future Generations project is calling upon all organisations to become signatories and join the Climate Justice Charter Community.
Organisations should join if they wish to recognise climate change as a crucial issue for young people and demonstrate their commitment to take action alongside the young people they work with. Furthermore, organisations that join the ever-growing Climate Justice community will benefit from Climate Justice training and events led by the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) and the Future
Generations Project that will support whole-organisations; board members, staff, youth workers, volunteers, and young people.
TJ Hourihan, the Advocacy & Youth Information Service Coordinator at YMCA Ireland, commented that their organisation ‘love the Climate Justice Charter because its creation of it was entirely youth-led. It captures exactly what the young people wanted the charter to say and the capacity to convince others how the world should be.’
To learn more or join the Climate Justice Charter Community, visit
https://www.youth.ie/climatejusticecharter/. If you have any questions about the charter or how you can implement it within your organisation, contact Eimear Manning from NYCI at eimear@nyci.ie.

ISSU Statement : Second-Level Students’ Union Welcomes Senior Cycle Reform Announcement

ISSU Statement : Second-Level Students’ Union Welcomes Senior Cycle Reform Announcement

The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) welcomes the recent announcement of plans for a reformed senior cycle. 

On Thursday, March 24th, the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, announced her vision for a reformed senior cycle with a number of actions including: 

• A redevelopment of subject curriculums so that each subject has an additional teacher-based component worth 40%.

• The introduction of two new subjects,Climate Action and Sustainable Development, and Film, Drama and Theatre Studies.

• A plan to revise and improve the Transition Year (TY) Programme, making it available to all students by 2024.

• A divide in exam times so that students entering Senior Cycle in 2023 will sit paper one in English and Irish at the end of 5th Year.

Speaking on the announcement, ISSU Uachtarán, Emer Neville said; “This announcement is one every student has been waiting patiently for years to see. Reform is finally being discussed and more importantly, actions for reform are being discussed, which we view as a tremendous start. The ISSU welcome all actions that were announced yesterday including the introduction of new subjects, the spacing out of exams, the TY review and continuous assessment. The changes here are really positive.” 

Emer further stated: “It’s important for students that this is only the beginning of reform, we still have a long way to go and a significant number of other reviews and reforms to begin. This includes an anticipated review of the CAO, but these are a fantastic start. These reforms signal a step towards a brighter future for the leaving certificate and an improved education exam structure for young people.” 

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ISSU Support for #RespectForSNAs campaign in conjunction with Forsa

📢The ISSU is proud to announce its support for the #RespectForSNAs campaign in conjunction with Forsa Trade Union.

📱Follow @forsa_union & support the #RespectForSNAs campaign!

ℹ️ For more information visit: 🔗 https://www.forsa.ie/

#ISSU4U #RespectForSNAs #ISSU #Forsa

ISSU Statement : ISSU Report calls for a Hybrid Model for the 2022 State Exams

ISSU Statement : ISSU Report calls for a Hybrid Model for the 2022 State Exams

Ahead of today’s Advisory Group meeting on State Examinations Planning, the ISSU has released its “Report on COVID-19 in Schools and the State Examinations''. This report hopes to inform positive action on this year's State Examinations.

Speaking on the launch, Emer Neville ISSU Uachtarán said: “It’s undeniable that the 2022 exam cohort have faced multiple years of disrupted education. This has included lost tuition time, adverse classroom environments as well as a burden on their mental health that cannot be measured and these things put together have undoubtedly impacted their education in ways we cannot fathom. It’s clear students are calling for a change of direction, the new way forward being a hybrid model. The Minister for Education cannot ignore these collective voices and must act soon to give students the clarity they deserve.”

The report is based on the survey conducted by the ISSU last week and submissions received from students in recent weeks. The survey had over 40,000 responses and was completed by 1 in 3 Senior Cycle students and a further 1 in 7 Junior Cycle students. It covered the topics of the Leaving Certificate, Junior Certificate, COVID-19 in schools, Online Tuition and School Absences. 

Leaving Certificate

Students were asked to rank by preference a number of alternatives for the 2022 Leaving Certificate Examinations. This found that 68% of Senior Cycle students would prefer a hybrid model for this year's Leaving Certificate ranking it as their first preference. Second choice preferences show a clear division between the student body, with half in favour of a form of calculated grading but the other half in favour of the option of sitting in-person examinations. As a result, the ISSU has called for an alternative option to be implemented and recommends a hybrid model similar to that of the 2021 Leaving Certificate.

Junior Certificate

The ISSU notes that the Junior Cycle class of 2022 have never seen an uninterrupted academic year. Students have reached out to the ISSU remarking that they feel completely unprepared for their exams. The aforementioned survey shows that 59.19% of Junior Cycle students have ranked a hybrid model in their top two preferences. 

Return to school

The ISSU has received numerous reports of significant student and teacher absences upon returning to school after the winter break. 61.88% of surveyed students have missed a minimum of between one and six classes on average per day in the weeks since returning. The ISSU has also received reports of temperatures in classrooms falling below eight degrees celsius. Half of students surveyed (50.32%) noted that windows are open in all classrooms in their school for ventilation purposes. A further 47.23% of students say they are open in some classrooms, but not all.

The ISSU’s report compiles detailed submissions and survey data and has made a multitude of recommendations as a result. The ISSU is hoping for clarity and an equitable solution for students following today's Advisory Group meeting.

ISSU Statement : Irish Students Call for a Hybrid State Exams Model by a Landslide

ISSU Statement : Irish Students Call for a Hybrid State Exams Model by a Landslide

The Irish Second-Level Students' Union (ISSU) survey of school students shows that two-thirds of exam students are calling for a hybrid model for state examinations in 2022 (68% of leaving cycle students and 63% of junior cycle students).

The survey, which closed on Friday 14th January, received over 40,900 responses from students all around Ireland. 

1 in 3 senior cycle students in Ireland answered the survey (18,981 individuals). 

1 in 7 junior cycle students in Ireland answered the survey (8,329 individuals).

Speaking on the matter, ISSU Uachtarán, Emer Neville said: “It has been made abundantly clear that students would like to see a hybrid model implemented for the State Examinations 2022. The ISSU State Examinations Survey for 2022 saw double the engagement from students than previous years. We are calling on the Department of Education to hear the voice of students, who are continuing their education in abnormal times. With the levels of disruptions, mental health pressures and classes missed, we are asking the minister to introduce a hybrid model for state examinations.” 

Students also voiced their concerns about missing classes, absenteeism of both students and teachers in the classroom, the immense pressure of the current situation on their mental health, to name a few. 

The full report of the ISSU Survey on Covid-19 in schools and the State Examinations 2022 highlighting student experiences and opinions on schools and state exams will be released soon. 

No Consultation with Students on Reopening Schools Plan

ISSU Statement: No Consultation with Students on Reopening Schools Plan

The Irish Second-level Students’ Union (ISSU) believes that announcing a full reopening of schools, with a two-day notice, is rushing school leaders to put in adequate risk-mitigation measures to ensure a safe return for students. Additionally, the department's announcement has not responded adequately to the shortages of school and teaching staff, and student absenteeism.

The ISSU notes the high levels of disruption that schools and students have experienced in the last term, and that any return to in-person learning should be done on a phased approach, whilst prioritising exam year students and students with special educational needs. 

6th Year Student, Quinton Kelly, said;

“As a sixth-year student myself, I am extremely disappointed in the Department of Education's decision to have a full reopening of schools. 

With case numbers rising and school attendance depleting, I am not assured that each student will receive the same standard of education. If we see extreme absences this week while having in-person teaching, it leaves no room for online learning equivalents for absent students. 

With a substitution crisis in place, the cover needed for absent teachers simply does not exist. From my own experience, I am not confident that the new measures in place will make an effective change in time for a sudden full return to school” 

ISSU Uachtarán Emer Neville, after attending a briefing with the Department, said;

“Last nights’ briefing has left students in a position of major uncertainty, and schools will have little time to assess their absences and plan adequately for reopening schools safely. 

With the high levels of close contacts and COVID-19 infections currently affecting the country, many students will either be unable to return to school or will be welcomed back to school on Thursday by classes without a teacher or substitution. 

Disruptions will remain a major issue for teaching and learning, which leaves students, particularly those in exam years, at an acute disadvantage.” 

Furthermore, ISSU Education Officer Jack McGinn, who was also in attendance said ;

“The ISSU has always engaged with the Department of Education positively and were disappointed that students were not consulted, but briefed, on this issue. We note that it is rash to reopen schools as planned and the lack of consultation with all stakeholders on this proposal demonstrates a lack of concern for the voice and safety of students, teachers, caretakers, secretaries and other members of the school community.”

The ISSU further notes students were not consulted on this announcement. This demonstrates a disregard for how important the voice of students is in this discussion, as an equal stakeholder in education. This approach to finalising the return to school without consultation comes as a surprise, considering a very productive and close relationship between a wider pool of stakeholders with the Department of Education in recent months, in response to the challenges that the pandemic has brought about. 

The ISSU is continuing to call for an open and solution-oriented discussion with all education stakeholders on how to minimise disruption of teaching and learning. The union is calling for:

• A phased return to school, starting from Monday, January 10th, prioritising in-person tuition for exam year students and students with Special Education Needs (SEN).

• The urgent sourcing of HEPA filters for all classrooms.

• Additional adjustments to be made to the Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle exam papers for 2022.

The ISSU is urging all stakeholders in school communities to adhere strictly to public health regulations in order to ensure the safety of schools for all students and staff.

The union has noted that whilst Public Health Representatives have said there is no rationale to not re-open schools, the Department of Education have disregarded the disruption that this rushed reopening will cause to students. With high teacher absenteeism and substitution shortages, schools are under-resourced. The current plan that has been proposed allows the possibility of specific class groups in each individual school to be sent home from school if deemed necessary. This causes significant disruption and uncertainty for students, with the possibility of many students not knowing if they are going to be in school the next day. This also raises concerns about whether individual classes could miss out on in-person learning compared to other classes and what position that will leave students completing state examinations.

The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU), expresses major concern at the lack of consultation with students on the return to school. The representatives of students were not consulted at a meeting held on the reopening of schools on January 4th, as they believed they would be, instead, a briefing was held to inform the ISSU and other stakeholders of the decision that had already been made.

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For more information, please contact:

Joanna Siewierska ISSU Communications - 01 443 4461/083 1305583