Teachers may have to be retrained to deal effectively with disruptive behaviour in classrooms, according to a report published today.
This recommendation was included in the interim report of the Task Force on Student Behaviour in secondary schools, published this morning by Minister for Education and Science Mary Hanafin.
The report said there was a recognition that the role of a teacher of adolescents in today’s society is multifaceted and different from how it was 10 to 15 years ago. It recommends that, to relate to their students today, teachers need ongoing high-quality training and development.
The report also said the effectiveness of strategies to deal with disruption in the classroom was directly linked to the calibre of school personnel.
The Task Force, chaired by Dr Maeve Martin of the National University of Ireland in Maynooth, will present its final report and recommendations to the Minister by the end of the year.
Speaking today, Dr Martin said: "The task force sought to take account of the context of a contemporary Ireland in which the lifestyles of some of our young students and their out of school culture may be at variance with the culture of the school they attend."
Dr Martin said one of the biggest challenges facing the Task Force was how to make recommendations regarding the provision for students who are seriously disruptive. "We will need the wisdom of Solomon to advise on this," she said.
The report also highlights the importance of getting parents involved in the education of their children, giving students an opportunity to participate in decision-making and the role of pastoral care in schools.
Ms Hanafin said that any behaviour bordering on the criminal should be reported to gardaí. However, she said that automatically expelling pupils was "not the answer".
She said: "These students need to be supported. There are extra guidance counsellors being employed to help students with difficulties. They will start in schools next September. Having a broader curriculum, such as the Leaving Cert Applied course, also helps to involve these students."
The Minister said that if the final recommendations from the task force needed legislative change then she would be happy to make them. She said she accepted that some of the recommendations would require funding.