Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

The Minister knows everything. I suggest she considers the Scottish model to ascertain how well the Scots cope with this problem and applies that model here in Ireland as far as is possible.

As Deputy Enright stated, teachers' lives and careers have been ruined by the behaviour of disruptive students — I have experienced this at first hand. They have suffered loss of self-esteem and confidence and some have given up teaching because of the manner of their treatment in the classroom. They are isolated and the level of depression and mental illness is becoming increasingly prevalent among the teaching profession. However, despite the support from their own colleagues, they are given little support from the system. Many supports are available for students, rightly so, but little consideration is given to teacher supports, including psychological support services and so on. Students and their parents are increasingly litigious. Even putting a student outside a classroom door can result in a court case for a teacher. In Scotland, on-site and off-site centres are provided where educational psychologists and sociologists attempt to deal with such problems.

Deputy Enright suggested that section 29 of the Education Act 1998 should be reconsidered as it is very much weighted in favour of the student. As the Minister knows, students can appeal a suspension or an expulsion. A recent newspaper article referred to a student in Cork who threatened a fellow student with a knife. He was suspended but won his appeal and when he returned to the school, he threatened the same individual again. The system is not working. Section 29 should be re-balanced and I ask the Minister to reconsider this.

The report has been with the Minister since last January. She should publish it as soon as possible but there is no point doing so without making funds available to implement its recommendations, as was the case with many other reports. As the problem is particularly accentuated in disadvantaged areas, more support must be directed at schools located in such areas. I am sure the Minister will agree it will be difficult to get teachers to teach in such schools unless supports are provided, the pupil-teacher ratio improves and psychological services are made available to make life for the teacher easier.

I welcome this important discussion. From my contacts with colleagues, I know discipline is a major problem and one that is becoming more serious. Society is breaking down in various ways, family life is changing and support and discipline are not available within the family as they were in the past. Unless intervention is made by the Department and the Minister, teachers will be affected, cases of burnout will increase and the noble profession of teaching will not be as attractive and will not attract those the Minister wants to attract. Assurances must be provided with regard to behavioural problems.

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