The Minister for Education needs to tackle the issue of "under-performing teachers" which is an ongoing cause of injustice to students, a conference of parents was told at the weekend.
The head of the National Parent's Council (primary), Ms Fionnuala Kilfeather, said "a solution has to be found to the problem of under-performing teachers.
"This is an ongoing and untackled cause of injustice to students at both primary and post-primary level".
Ms Kilfeather was speaking at the council's annual conference in Oranmore, Co Galway.
In her address she said parents should be involved in the benchmarking process because any changes to teachers' conditions of employment impacted on students and parents as well.
"Conditions for teachers are also conditions for children and there must be gains for children coming out of pay and productivity deals with teachers," she told delegates.
She acknowledged there was currently a difficult industrial relations climate in education, but said efforts should still be made to get extra provisions included in teachers' contracts.
She said the provisions should include:
Parent teacher meetings in all schools, with flexible arrangements for times that suit parents. This for many would mean evening meetings.
Other essential school-related activities such as whole school planning, whole school in-career development to take place outside students' teaching time.
Supervision before and after school needs to be assured, through teachers or other responsible adults.
She said future negotiations between teachers and the Department must focus on getting the full school year re-established (183 full school days) and getting teachers to co-operate with whole school evaluation (WSE) in all schools.
WSE is the new inspection system for schools.
It has been tested on a pilot basis, but in the currently fraught climate the Department of Education has yet to implement it fully in schools.
Ms Kilfeather said the pilot model from the Department was a timid attempt, which should be "beefed up" if it was to provide a system of accountability for teachers and schools.
She said meaningful information should also be provided for parents about the work of schools.
"Now is the time for the Department of Education and Science to put everything on the table and get these basic issues sorted out. The benchmarking process represents an opportunity that may not come up again," she said.