Speaking at the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) annual conference, Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn stated that the proposal to limit Junior Cert students to eight examinable subjects will not be implemented in second-level schools in 2012. He now says that it will not be a requirement until 2014, -- for pupils doing the exam in 2017.

While the Minister has now stated that there would be no compulsion on schools to change in 2012 or 2013, he would encourage them to do so if possible. "This will allow more time for literacy and numeracy and assist in the planning for the change that is coming anyway in 2014," he said.

Speaking yesterday, ASTI General Secretary Pat King welcomed the statement by the Minister and went on to say: “While the ASTI agrees that the Junior Cert programme has become ‘overloaded’ and is in need of reform, the recent unexpected announcement that students entering second-level schools in 2012 would be limited to eight subjects in their Junior Cert exam was causing major confusion. This announcement was made in the absence of any information as to how it would work in schools”.

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