The National Parents Council (primary) was last night sharply critical of the Supreme Court ruling which bans the publication of inspectors' reports on primary schools.
The council claimed that the Republic appeared to be "caught in a time-warp where parents and the public cannot get information about schools".
Chief executive Ms Fionnuala Kilfeather said parents were surprised and disappointed by the decision.
"This judgment has now copperfastened the lack of right to any official source of information whatsoever on the work of schools."
Minister for Education and Science Mary Hanafin said she would now examine how information from the inspectors' reports could be more widely available.
"Unlike league tables, which tell us little about the wide range of work that schools undertake, school inspection reports provide balanced evaluations on the work of schools.
"In this context, I am convinced that wider availability of school inspection reports, rather than crude league tables, could be very beneficial for students, teachers, parents and schools."
The Supreme Court decision, which overturned a High Court ruling to release the inspectors' reports, surprised many in the education sector yesterday.
In particular, there was surprise that the Supreme Court appeared to give precedent to the Education Act - which prevents league tables - over the Freedom of Information Act which is designed to open up the workings of the State.
In his dissenting judgment, Mr Justice Nial Fennelly said yesterday that the Freedom of Information Act "replaces the culture of secrecy with one of openness". He added that the Act was "designed to open up the workings of government and administration to scrutiny" and not simply to satisfy the appetite of the media for stories.
The Act was intended to have universal application, meaning it extended to every class or record held by any public body.
Last night, the Irish National Teachers Organisation welcomed the ruling.
"The INTO believes that the release of school reports would lead to crude comparisons of schools in an unfair manner . . . Schools are complex organisations and comparisons on the basis of crude league tables could not do justice to the work of schools."
Its general secretary John Carr insisted: "This is not an attempt by primary teachers to run away from accountability. Teachers are accountable for their work in schools to school boards and to the Department of Education and Science and have always co-operated fully with the school inspection process."
Inspection reports, prepared by the Department of Education inspectorate, provide an overview of how a school is performing.
The reports are circulated to schools every five years or so but have never been published. The department says these reports should be available to parents and prospective parents of a school but in practice they are rarely released.
Two years ago, the Department of Education - without naming any schools - published a report based on 50 such evaluations.
The report found that crumbling buildings and tuition charges in schools which were supposed to be free were just some of the problems facing primary schools.
Teachers were generally praised on their performance, but the report said a minority did not make adequate preparation before class.
The report also highlighted the poor state of primary buildings throughout the State.
Almost half of the schools visited operated from buildings which were either too small or dilapidated. There was a severe lack of toilet facilities and general-purpose rooms in many schools.
