Problem students ‘need alternative’
Martin Wallace, president of the Principals and Deputy-Principals Association (DPA), said those engaging in inappropriate and anti-social behaviour are getting younger and schools should not have to tackle the problem on their own.
“Boundaries of behaviour that were valued only a short few years ago seem to be disappearing at an alarming rate. Rising levels of violence and vandalism throughout the country are also indicative of an increasing disregard for the person and property of others,” he said.
He welcomed the Teachers Union of Ireland’s (TUI) recent assertion that credible and adequately resourced alternative placements must be made available outside the traditional school setting for some students.
“It is impossible to expect that we can educate all 12 to 18-year-olds in a traditional school because, for some students, this setting does not work,” Mr Wallace said.
“Like other countries, we will have to establish additional support units incorporating the model of the school as a social centre, as well as a learning organisation, so that the needs of all children can be catered for adequately,” he said.
Mr Wallace, principal of Castletroy College in Co Limerick, was addressing the annual conference of the PDA, a sub-committee of TUI representing heads of the 250 vocational schools and community colleges.
School discipline has been raised by unions with Education Minister Mary Hanafin in recent weeks and will be the subject of a TUI conference next month.
Mr Wallace also raised concerns about the Department of Education cap on student numbers in further education colleges this year at 2002/’03 levels.
“It has put colleges in a position where they will be refusing to enrol adults in further education programmes and restricting opportunities for some Leaving Certificate Applied students to progress their education to third level,” he said.
“This decision has the potential to contribute to a continuous downward spiral in Post Leaving Certificate and further education provision if it is not removed or modified,” Mr Wallace said.
The TUI’s Dun Laoghaire branch, based in Ms Hanafin’s constituency, has organised a seminar tomorrow to look at issues affecting the further education sector, which serves around 28,000 students.
