The Minister for Education, Ms Hanafin, is examining proposals to set up a review body to address the issue of school discipline. She will decide on its composition within weeks.
The Minister is considering the establishment of a non-representative body of experts.
They would consult with education partners, including parents, teaching unions and school management representatives, and examine international "best practice" before presenting her with their findings.
A spokeswoman for Ms Hanafin told The Irish Times the body may report to the Minister on a phased basis. This was because the area of school discipline was wide, she said. But she stressed the Minister's intention was to move forward on the proposals "as soon as possible".
Speaking at a press conference in Government Buildings yesterday, Ms Hanafin said she had previously acknowledged that indiscipline was one of the major problems facing schools here. But she said it needed to be dealt with in a number of ways, not just through her office.
These included the policies and procedures employed to handle complaints in schools, as well as the legislative burden they face. If necessary, she said, she would "look at" current legislation governing school discipline. But she warned it was also important to establish a "fine balance" between the individual rights of children and those of teachers and the wider school-going population.
However, the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI), which this weekend called for a commission on school discipline to be set up, yesterday expressed its disappointment at the Minister's plans.
Mr Paddy Healy, TUI president, said that while it was "delighted" that the Minister wished to proceed urgently on the issue, it believed teachers' representatives should be included in any such body.
"We would expect teachers' representatives as well as representatives of school management, parents and students to be on it," he said.
"There is a grave danger that so-called experts may in good faith make recommendations that are impracticable.
"Consultation is not enough. It's important to have key experts - the practitioners - at the heart of the process and analysis. I think a model in which the key experts only make submissions is highly defective."
Delegates at a conference on school discipline held by the TUI over the weekend revealed that teachers have been subjected to bullying, sexual harassment and innuendo, spitting, and have had personal property destroyed.
The conference heard that the majority of teachers were more concerned about discipline than levels of pay.
A west of Ireland community school will not now be forced to readmit a 17-year-old student who threw a desk at a teacher.
The chief executive officer of the local Vocational Educational Committee had said the child would have to be readmitted but has now reversed that decision.