It is becoming extremely difficult to get teachers to work in schools for the disadvantaged, and paying an additional bonus may be the best way to address the problem, the National Crime Council report suggests.
The report, which examines links between crime and educational disadvantage, says many schools have to rely on inexperienced and unqualified teachers because others are reluctant to teach in such schools.
The NCC report says the Department of Education should consider providing incentives for teachers to remain in schools classified as "disadvantaged".
It says that while financial incentives might be appropriate, other methods should also be considered. Labelling schools as "disadvantaged" has a negative impact on teachers and pupils, it adds.
The report cites research from the INTO, which found that one in 20 positions in primary schools is filled by personnel who are not qualified teachers.
The report also looks at how the State funds different sectors of the education system.
"In financial terms the level of investment in the education of a child from a more disadvantaged background is likely to be substantially less than for a child from a more affluent background," it says.
"This inequity needs to be addressed, with greater resources provided for early education, primary level and post-primary level, with particular emphasis on a co-ordinated, targeted response in areas of disadvantage," it adds.
The report says it is clear from a wide range of research that "offenders at the hard end of the criminal justice system" tend to have extremely low levels of educational attainment.
Any proposal to pay certain teachers more would face serious opposition from the teachers' unions. They have traditionally defended the "common basic scale", regardless of school.