In a sign of increasing tension among students, secondary school pupils have formed a union to represent their interests during the current strike.
The Union of Secondary Students (USS) will hold its inaugural meeting on Wednesday at UCD. It has asked every school in Leinster to send two representatives to the event.
"The union will strive to protect the rights of all secondary students," it said in its first press statement yesterday. It is working with the Union of Students in Ireland, which represents third-level students.
The union has been formed in response to recent student strikes and protests. One of the founders, Mr Shane O'Donnell, said that while these actions were successful, they were disorganised, and a new organisation was needed to channel secondary students' concerns.
He said the founders hoped the USS would continue after the ASTI dispute and make sure "there is never another strike like it".
"While the teachers' dispute is a big issue, the union has been set up to generally deal with students' concerns," Mr O'Donnell said. He has set up the union along with two fellow pupils from Marian College, Ballsbridge, and two from St Louis High School, Rathmines.
The union will initially target students from Leinster schools, but hopes eventually to have members from all over the State.
Because the five founders are Leaving Certificate students, a group of fifth-year students is expected to be elected to run it next year, although financing has still to be organised.
Mr O'Donnell said a preliminary constitution had been drawn up and would be discussed at the meeting.
"Second-level pupils have a lot of issues that need to be dealt with and also we have to make sure our voices are heard during things like the teachers' strike," he said.
There has been no union representing pupils at second level for many years.
The USS meeting is at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at the new UCD student union building. Anyone who is seeking information should e-mail secondary students@hotmail.com
Meanwhile the Fine Gael spokesman on education, Mr Michael Creed TD, said the ASTI should show "good faith" by calling off its strike, scheduled to start next Tuesday, while Labour Court talks continue.
"Further widespread and more prolonged disruption of the country's secondary schools and the possibility of more counter-protests by students will only serve to worsen the climate for a resolution," he said.
"Equally, I appeal to the Government and its spokesmen to desist from any more wantonly confrontational statements or actions that have only served to poison the industrial relations atmosphere in the past," he added.