The row over Junior Cert reform is likely to come to a head in schools as principals receive an invitation today for a new phase of teacher training for the changes ahead.

A more hardline approach by the Department of Education has seen letters go to 96 community and comprehensive schools offering principals and staff an opportunity to sign up for the programme.

Up to now, training has been confined to the more than 260 schools in the Education and Training Board (ETB) sector, where only the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) - which is co-operating with the reforms - represents teachers.

There was a concern not to inflame sensitivities in staff rooms in community and comprehensive schools, where both the TUI and the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI) - which opposes the changes - have members.

But today's invitation represents a departure from the softly-softly approach and will present principals with stark choices about their school's offering to Junior Cycle pupils, as well as putting the ASTI under new pressure.

There are about 370 secondary schools where the ASTI has sole representation of teachers, which are not receiving an invitation.

Teachers and schools that engage in the current training will be equipped for the new assessment regime in English, due to start in May, and other changes, such as revised syllabi in business studies and science and new short courses including coding, coming on stream in September.

While the ASTI continues to boycott the reforms, there are signs of an appetite within schools where it has members to get involved in training.

ASTI schools were among those that recently applied to participate in a pilot project for the new coding course being run by the Department of Education's Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT) training service, despite a union ban on co-operation with change.

The invitation to community and comprehensive schools states that the JCT team is aware that there are many principals, deputy principals and teachers in the sector who might wish to attend the various professional development events linked to the reforms.

They have been asked to reply by February 5 to offers of training in school leadership, as well for English, and science and business studies.

The Junior Cycle changes will see a massive overhaul in teaching and learning, with a move to more continuous, classroom-based assessment rather than reliance on a single set of exams at the end of three years. The new approach is aimed at developing a spirit of inquiry in students, as well as embedding skills such as independent thinking, communications and teamwork.

The ASTI and TUI maintained a three-year united campaign of opposition against the reforms, focused on resistance to a plan for teachers to take on responsibility for assessing their own students. After much negotiation, this requirement was effectively removed, clearing the way for TUI acceptance. The ASTI, however, has maintained its opposition, a mandate based on a ballot of members with a relatively low turnout of 38pc of members.

Education Minister Jan O'Sullivan, pictured, has ruled out any further negotiations on the reform package.

Irish Independent