The Education Minister Jan O'Sullivan says she is 'deeply' disappointed at the decision of the country's largest secondary teachers union to reject the latest junior cycle proposals.
The executive of the ASTI will meet Friday to decide its next step after rejecting the proposals.
ASTI members voted against the proposals by 55% to 45%. However, secondary teachers in the TUI have voted to accept the proposals by 69% to 31%.
"These proposals are the result of approximately nine months of negotiation between my Department and both teacher unions", Minister O'Sullivan said.
"However, the decision by 55% of ASTI members who voted to reject the agreed proposals is deeply disappointing".
"That said, I note that the ASTI intends to engage with its members in relation to outstanding concerns".
Ms O'Sullivan says she will consult with other education stakeholders - including students, parents and management bodies - over the coming weeks
ASTI president Máire Ní Chiarba said that while the latest proposals address a number of issues, teachers do not have faith in the Government.
"Second-level schools and teachers are delivering much more with far less. In this context teachers do not trust the Government to adequately resource and support schools as they implement the significant changes required by the junior cycle proposals," she said.
Ms Ní Chiarba also said ASTI members have expressed concern about the lack of clarity in the latest junior cycle proposals.
"Teachers needed far more clarity and detail about how the process will operate in reality," she added.
The ASTI says it will now engage with its 18,000 members in order to consider how best to pursue outstanding concerns.
Ed Byrne is vice president of the ASTI.
He told Newstalk Lunchime their members feel the proposals do not go far enough.
Meanwhile, members of the TUI have voted in a ballot to accept the proposals.
TUI members voted in favour of acceptance by a margin of 69% to 31% - on a turnout of 60%.
TUI president, Gerry Quinn said: "The negotiated document provides for reinstatement of a fully externally assessed, state certified junior certificate examination and professional time is provided for teachers. Therefore, our key objectives were attained".
"We approached the negotiations seeking to improve second level education while protecting teachers from exploitation, and TUI members have decided in a ballot that these key, complementary concerns have been appropriately addressed".
"Our principled position has been protected. The document explicitly acknowledges that significant change must be appropriately resourced from the start," he added.
