The three teaching unions are set to oppose plans by Minister for Education Mary Hanafin for the publication of school inspection reports.
The ASTI, the TUI and primary teachers' union, the INTO will raise their concerns at a series of meetings with Department of Education inspectors beginning late next week.
The unions, representing 45,000 primary and second-level teachers, are objecting to the plans on two main points:
Firstly, publication of school reports could identify individual teachers, who are being criticised;
Secondly, publication could allow the media to publish school league tables, which are prohibited under the Education Act.
Minister for Education Mary Hanafin hopes next month's meetings with teacher unions will agree on a framework for the publication of school inspection reports and Whole School Evaluation (WSE) reports, compiled by the department's inspectorate.
But John White, general secretary of the ASTI, said his union "would be opposing the release of information which the Supreme Court said could be used to construct league tables.
"We will also oppose the identification of individual teachers because every worker has the right to normal legal protection."
Ms Hanafin also opposes league tables but says publication of the reports could make a "significant contribution to providing accurate and balanced information on schools".
John MacGabhann, TUI research and education officer, expressed concern about the identification of individual teachers.
"We cannot accept a situation where, for example, an individual Irish or English teacher is singled out for criticism in a report which will be available publicly. That is unacceptable".
Last night, one Dublin principal, Brian Fleming of Collinstown Park Community College in Clondalkin, who has published his school's WSE report said the public is entitled to more information on schools.
A summary of the report is published in today's Irish Times.
Last night, the INTO general secretary, John Carr, repeated his firm opposition to school leagues. However, he stressed there was no information vacuum in primary schools.
He said primary schools had made huge efforts to involve parents in all aspects of school life. "It is important that this would continue."
The publication of school inspection reports on primary schools was banned earlier this year in a Supreme Court ruling. The court said that publication of the reports could lead to compilation of school league tables.
The ruling overturned an earlier High Court decision in which the department had been ordered to release the information to The Irish Times.
Mr White also criticised the chief executive of the National Parents Council primary, Ms Fionnuala Kilfeather who backed a much wider release of school information in an Irish Times article yesterday.
"Ms Kilfeather's new-right prescriptions will serve to demoralise our system. She should rethink her position before the damage is done."
