Hanafin unveils package to tackle school troublemakers

PERSISTENT troublemakers will be taught in separate classes under the government’s €6 million-a-year package to tackle indiscipline in second-level schools.

Education Minister Mary Hanafin said she also plans to change legislation to give school’s the power to suspend and expel unruly students.

However, teacher unions criticised the plans, which they said fell well short of the recommendations of the task force which advised her on the issue. These include implementing the 2002 McGuinness report to the Department of Education which called for the provision of 1,200 extra teachers to reduce class sizes.