Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No.1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

—supports the measured and focussed manner in which the Minister for Education and Science has approached the issue of student behaviour in our second level schools;

—notes the fact that a Task Force established by the Minister has now completed its work;

—commends the fact that funding has been provided in 2006 to commence the implementation of the recommendations of the Task Force; and

—notes further the Minister's intention to publish the Report and set out her intended approach to implementation in March 2006.

I am glad to have the opportunity to outline to the House the manner in which I have approached the issue of student behaviour in our second level schools. As Deputies will be aware, on becoming Minister for Education and Science I said that my overriding priority would be to ensure our education system enabled every child to reach his or her full potential. Of course, in order to achieve this we need the right learning environment in our schools. We need to ensure local schools have a positive atmosphere that supports learning and promotes a sense of community among students, teachers and parents.

One thing I have stressed from the start is that securing a positive learning environment in all our schools requires a multifaceted approach, as a whole range of factors influence a school's success in this regard. Effective teaching styles, strong school leadership and a fair procedure for dealing with disruption are vital. Access to good professional supports for teachers is also vital, as are opportunities for students to have a role in decision-making in their schools and for parents to build positive relationships with their child's teachers. The extent to which the curriculum is relevant to the needs of the individual student is also extremely important.

It is my belief that student behaviour is determined by a range of factors, all of which we must address. That belief has underpinned my approach to this issue and is reflected in the terms of reference I gave the task force on student behaviour when I established it this time last year. However, the Opposition motion before us and the extremely alarmist press release issued over the weekend show no grasp of the complexities of the issue. I regret that some parties are more interested in headline grabbing than in approaching the issue in a responsible and well considered way.

See this speech in context