Removing disruptive students from mainstream classrooms and whether they should be sent to special education centres were hotly debated yesterday. After submissions from delegates, a vote was deferred until next year.
Ms Rita Wall, from the Dublin South Central branch, asked delegates to oppose the motion, saying that "special education centres would marginalise the students further". She wondered what these special education centres would look like. "Would they look like juvenile detention centres, which are already full?"
She said she had worked in special education services in London and from her experience she thought there would be a "huge reoffending culture if such disruptive students were stuck in a holding centre".
"And what about the huge cost of these special dumping centres?" she asked. "It would be disastrous. What we need is more money in the current services. We don't need any more special centres. We need smaller classes, more support services, early intervention and an adequate psychologist service."
Mr Noel Buckley, a member of the union's central executive council, spoke about the suffering of teachers who try to cope with disruptive students in their classrooms. "We have maintained a culture of silence. Many teachers are suffering in silence because they are afraid to admit they have lost control in the classroom. I know some of them, they are on the threshold of breakdown," he said, speaking in favour of the motion.
"We need to come out and communicate the depth of silent suffering and pain, much of which the family of the teacher experiences back home in the evening."
The composite motion proposed that the ASTI would negotiate with the Department of Education and Science for the immediate establishment of special education centres to be created on a regional basis. It will be voted on at next year's conference, after consideration by a committee.