About 21,000 members of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) are set to be excluded from new promotional posts, to be established by the Government to support students with Leaving Cert reforms, the union has maintained.

ASTI said its members would be banned from applying for new dedicated posts of responsibility to assist students with senior cycle redevelopment, and the Level One and Level Two learning programmes, under new Department of Education circulars expected to be issued to schools after the Easter break.

It is understood that teachers appointed to such roles would receive additional allowances ranging from about €4,700 to €10,600, depending on the size of the individual school.

The union said it had engaged fully with the senior cycle redevelopment, although it had deep apprehensions about the Government’s reform plans.

Members last year rejected a package of supports offered by the Government on the grounds they were inadequate. In particular, the union is concerned about the introduction of additional assessment components, which are worth 40 per cent of marks.

Union members contended at the union’s conference in Wexford on Thursday that projects carried out by students outside the classroom would, given the development of artificial intelligence, be “a licence to cheat”.

Teachers expressed concern they could be sued by students if they determined that work submitted had been carried out using artificial intelligence. Delegates passed a motion demanding that teachers receive a full indemnity.

Delegate Michael McGrath of the Dungarvan branch said the whole issue was a minefield for teachers.

“I’m a science teacher. We’re supposed to accredit [and] authenticate; we have no way of doing that.

“It will break my heart if I see a guy who didn’t show up for half my classes, and when he was there, he wasn’t paying attention. And lo and behold, he produces a perfect additional assessment component, all allegedly done by him alone. And, without indemnity, if I say ‘No’ to it … I’m liable to be in the High Court when he fails to get his [university] place, and he wants to be a doctor.”

Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton said artificial intelligence is here to stay.

“Within the education system, there is nothing wrong with using artificial intelligence as long as you reference it. You say where you got the information and you are not saying that the ideas are your own and that they are coming from artificial intelligence.”

She said the State Examinations Commission had published rules to guide schools and teachers on the ethical, safe and responsible use of artificial intelligence. She said students also had responsibilities.

Naughton announced the establishment of an artificial intelligence in schools external advisory taskforce.

The Minister also said that legal protection for teachers engaged in the authentication of additional assessment components had been set out clearly by the examination commission last November.

ASTI president Padraig Curley said excluding his union’s members from the new posts would be “provocative” and represent a clear breach of the public service agreement.

He said it would lead to students in some schools, which were staffed exclusively by ASTI members, being denied access to such educational supports.

The Minister said her officials were working to progress measures dedicated to those who had accepted the support package for the changes which had been negotiated.

“It is my hope that in time ASTI members will also benefit from those supports as they continue to implement senior cycle redevelopment, as committed to under the public service pay agreement.”