Secondary teachers will continue their industrial action with a further national one-day strike on December 14th.
They have also threatened more strikes and a ban on exam work unless the Government "engages in discussions" by Saturday, December 9th.
The move by the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) means some 350,000 students have lost at least nine days this term.
Last night Ms Barbara Johnston, of the main Catholic parents' group, said she was "dismayed and disappointed".
The ASTI has also rejected an offer from the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to take part in the new benchmarking pay review body. Mr Ahern said such a move would quickly end the dispute. However, his offer was rejected by the union's standing committee at a meeting yesterday.
In a significant move, however, the ASTI has signalled it may be prepared to co-operate with some third party in resolving the dispute. In a statement it said: "The ASTI welcomes a statement by the Taoiseach in the Dail that there is a need for a forum to address the union's claim for a salary increase."
The decision by the ASTI standing committee to step up its campaign came despite an increasing view within the organisation that it is losing the public relations battle.
The mood of yesterday's meeting was, however, described by one senior ASTI figure as "very militant". The union now hopes to mobilise up to 10,000 teachers for a march to the Dail on Tuesday, the next strike day. During the meeting, schools were faxed a direction from the ASTI leadership that attendance at the march was vital.
The new benchmarking body, established by the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF), compares public service pay to that in the private sector. The other teaching unions believe the process will deliver significant pay increases for its members. However, ASTI, which withdrew from the PPF, is refusing to take part.
The benchmarking body is not due to report until June 2002. However, it is expected that it will be fast-tracked, possibly to the end of next year, as part of the PPF review discussions now under way. There has also been speculation that the public service unions which take part in the new body may receive a down-payment.
The future of the ASTI action is now set to be decided by its 180-member central executive which meets on Saturday week. This meeting will consider the Government's response to last night's threat of more strikes and possible disruption of exam work. It will also review any concessions which go to the other teaching unions, the INTO and the TUI, from the current PPF review.