Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

I welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue. I want to approach it a little differently in so far as I want to concentrate as much as I can on the children who may be described as the problem or part of the problem and on the need to give children the opportunity to succeed rather than fail. I like to think we could intervene with many of these young people before they get to the point where they are causing serious disruption for other children in whatever school they attend and before we get to the point where we see measures like section 29 of the Education Act being brought into the picture.

I was interested in the interim report of the task force because much of its emphasis was on trying to create a school culture which is inclusive and which tries to address the issues caused by the big changes in the past 20 or more years. We have moved from a situation where there was a highly authoritarian regime, where the teacher could give the child a clip on the ear and where the child was afraid of the teacher. All of that sort of behaviour is completely gone. There now is a totally different situation in schools. We need to concentrate on how we can make school a positive experience for all children rather than on simply seeing them as a problem. That is why if there were any teachers listening tonight — I suppose there will be some reading this report — I hope they will forgive me for spending no time at all speaking about the problem as it is perceived by teachers but instead speaking about how the child experiences school at present.

One of the measures we must take if we are to prevent this kind of disruption is intervention at an earlier stage with children who have problems in school. Those problems are usually identified at an early stage in school, if not even before they go to school. One sees many of these problems arising at primary school level. For example, the recent literacy figures, both in the study from St. Patrick's College and in the Minister's educational disadvantage group, show that there is clearly a serious literacy problem evident in many children, and in up to 50% of children in a small number of schools, coming out of the primary school system. Those children inevitably will cause disruption at second level because they will not be able to participate. The ones with the serious difficulties are the small percentage who are supposed to be addressed in this task force but there are many other children who have difficulties, although perhaps not at the extreme end. If we do not intervene, we will set ourselves all sorts of recipes for the future and this task force report will not make a scrap of difference because there will continue to be children who cause disruption. The way to address it is not to police them and kick them out of schools but to ensure there is a positive system.

The Minister is planning to introduce standardised testing at two stages in the primary school system. No child should have to leave primary school without being literate and numerate and, therefore, when these tests come on stream, the children who need additional support at primary level should be identifiable. Such support should be given to them so that when they enter second level, they can have a positive experience at school. The State has the capacity to do that.

I take issue with the Minister regarding the introduction of the weighted system for resource teaching because many children who need support attend schools in which other children need support but do not receive it. The Minister has deprived a number of inner city schools in Dublin and other disadvantaged schools of resource support they seriously need.

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