There has been a significant increase in the number of second-level students seeking grinds since the teachers' dispute began, it was claimed yesterday.
Students protesting at the dispute outside the Dail said the increased demand for private tuition meant the cost of grinds had increased dramatically.
Ms Lorna Carolan, a Leaving Certificate student at Loreto College, Swords, Co Dublin, said she was paying £25 an hour for grinds in French and Irish.
"I'm getting them because of the strike. My grinds are extremely expensive. They are £25 an hour. There is a 300 per cent increase in the number of people getting grinds so teachers can charge what they like for them," she said.
Mr Brian Cavanagh, a Leaving Certificate student at St Paul's College, Raheny, Dublin, said students were getting grinds to make up for more than 360 classes which had been missed. "A lot of people have been getting grinds but that is a bad thing as well because the teachers who are getting the time off from this are using that time to give grinds to students and getting more money from it," he said.
Another final-year student, Ms Eithne Sexton from Manor House secondary school, Raheny, said the dispute served only to widen the gap between well-off and poorer students.
"Many students, apart from those in grind schools who are not missing classes, are able to get grinds outside school to supplement class time lost but there are also a lot of students who can't afford that. So there is going to be a huge gap between those who have money and are able to get results and those who haven't."
The National Parents' Council (post primary) said it had received many calls from parents concerned about the way grinds were now operating. Ms Barbara Johnston said one mother complained her child was paying £10 an hour to be in a class of 10 for a multiple grind. "That teacher is making £100 an hour. The teachers are minding their pockets," she said.