The 35 pupils of the Leaving Cert class at the Loreto Secondary School in Fermoy, Co Cork, picketed their school yesterday demanding teachers provide classes.
There was a confrontation between pupils and the principal, Ms Elma Hayes, as the pupils, carrying placards, tried to enter their classes.
Ms Hayes turned them back, explaining that for health and safety reasons, it was required that students be supervised at all times and since such a service could not be provided, she had no option but to ask them to return home.
Ms Hayes phoned the parents telling them that on days of industrial action it would be better if their daughters were kept home.
One of the pupils, Ms Denise O'Sullivan, organised the protest with her friends. She said they failed to get into their classes and stood outside in the rain for an hour. "We were miserable and wet but all we were doing was trying to make the point that we badly need to go back to class without interruption."
She said Leaving Cert pupils taking honours maths had missed eight classes because of the dispute and had no classes in accounting for the past two weeks.
"We don't mind too much when the teachers are outside the school picketing but it is very frustrating when they are just working to rule and we know they are in there but we can't get them to teach us," she said.