Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

The increasing disruption and unruly behaviour in classrooms have caused serious problems, not only for teachers but also for diligent students. I hope the Minister for Education and Science will, as a matter of urgency, introduce regulations and protocols to ensure no grey areas exist. The Minister needs to clarify the situation because, at present, school managers, teachers, parents and other partners in education are uncertain as to what can be done within the law to deal with unruly students. Some 47% of teachers who take early retirement do so as a result of stress, while the damage done to pupils within the classroom cannot be quantified. I hope we can hold an early debate on this matter.