The union of Irish secondary school teachers is meeting today to discuss the framework for the new Junior Cycle.

ASTI members are currently engaged in industrial action over the issue, meaning only some of the reforms are being applied.

The union is particularly concerned over the introduction of 'common level' grading.

Kieran Christie, General Secretary of the ASTI, has said that this change may have a detrimental effect on the education standards here: “One of major concerns that we have is the fact that the new system is going to be operated on the basis of common level.

“Normally subjects are examined at higher level and ordinary level and the proposal is to abolish that and have common levels only.

“We feel that would be detrimental to the interests of our students and detrimental to the standards that can be achieved.”