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.

“I’m not going to do that, it won’t solve a discipline problem. You can have a small class and still have a problem and have a large class with no discipline problem,” Ms Hanafin said.

But ASTI general secretary John White said it is far less problematic dealing with one or two problem students in a class of 15 than in a group of 30.

“Dealing with discipline in a modern school, there is a definite question of putting in the staffing resources,” he said.

Ms Hanafin promised instead that extra staff in other areas, including regional behaviour support teams of principals, teachers and psychologists, will help deal with discipline difficulties at 30 to 50 schools which seek assistance.

Ms Hanafin has also decided to amend Section 29 of the Education Act which allows students appeal an expulsion, suspension or a school’s refusal to enrol them. It is intended to add a section specifying the right of the majority of well-behaved students to learn in an undisrupted setting.

The minister stressed the aim is to use the other supports she announced to reduce instances of schools having to take these actions, rather than make it easier to get rid of badly behaved students.

The measures also include the possible expansion of Youthreach, Youth Encounter and other out-of-school education schemes based on analysis of existing provisions, and wider availability of the Junior Certificate Schools Programme.