Last year one second-level remedial teacher was aware of the deaths of four of her former pupils, Mr Billy Fitzpatrick, the TUI's education officer, told the annual congress in Tralee.
Three pupils had committed suicide and one was murdered. They had all dropped out of remedial education and had been unable to cope in classes of up to 15 students, Mr Fitzpatrick said.
These youngsters had required special needs rather than remedial education. The fact that there are no special needs facilities in mainstream second-level schools is a disgrace, he said.
The remedial teacher, who taught in a large urban school, had told him that last September 15 first-years were admitted into her class.
Their reading abilities ranged from those of an eight-year-old to zero. Four children had to be taught the alphabet and basic social skills.
Many of the children had behavioural or emotional problems. The teacher described individual children as sly, violent, eccentric or disruptive. Some had attention deficit disorder and were hyperactive. They screamed when given instructions and their powers of concentration were minimal. These children, the teacher said, were unable to operate in normal remedial classes of 15.
Due to the bizarre behaviour of five of the children teachers feared for the safety of the class and for themselves. One boy had brought along a gang of friends to threaten teachers.
However, once a core group of five violent non-readers had been removed from the class the rest of the children were able to respond to the teacher.
One student, who had coped well in a small group of four, had killed himself following reintegration into a mainstream class.
Mr Fitzpatrick said that unlike primary level there was no State support for second-level teachers to train in remedial education.