Classes went ahead at a school in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, yesterday after 17 students turned up demanding to be taught.
Five Leaving Cert students who were turned away from Ard Scoil na nDeise on Wednesday had issued an appeal for others to attend for classes yesterday.
When the 17 arrived with 10 of their parents, the principal, Ms Margaret O'Brien, told them there could be no classes because the school was an unsafe environment in the absence of voluntary supervision by teachers.
Ms O'Brien told The Irish Times things became "a bit hot and heavy", with parents "quoting all sorts of things" and claiming the pupils would, in fact, be covered by insurance. The advice received by the school, however, was that students were not insured on days when supervision was withdrawn.
While she was taking a phone call the students went upstairs and into the classrooms. At this point she decided it was safer to allow classes to go ahead.
One student, Louise Foley, said their aim was to ensure there would be no further non-supervision days as part of the ASTI dispute.
Classes continued throughout the day yesterday, with students leaving the school during breaks. Anne Lucey, in Kerry, adds:
Parents huddled under umbrellas against a wall in the driving rain outside a secondary school in Listowel, Co Kerry, yesterday morning. Their children had been turned away that morning for the seventh time.
"All we are looking for is our constitutional right to have our children educated," they said. At Presentation girls' school 17 students handed in parents' notes requesting that they be taught and giving permission for them to leave school at break.
Two principals, Mr John Mulvihill, of St Michael's, and Sister Nuala O'Leary, of Presentation, asked students to leave. Both said they were following the guidelines of the joint management board on health, safety and insurance.
Parents were keen to put on record that they were "not against the teachers", but simply wanted to have their children educated.
Some teachers in the 300pupil St Michael's College said "the silent majority" of parents in Listowel supported their action.
