Smaller classes will tackle disruptive pupils, says union

THE key to preventing or controlling misbehaviour among students is to significantly reduce class sizes, a teachers’ union has claimed.

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) made the point ahead of Education Minister Mary Hanafin’s receipt of a major report on the issue this week. The Task Force on Student Behaviour was set up last January to examine ways of tackling the growing problem of disruptive pupils in second-level schools.

Its interim report in July alluded to the need for more streamlined resources in schools with increasingly diverse student groups. However, it stopped short of recommending referral units sought by some groups, where severely disruptive students could be taught outside a mainstream class setting.