A privately-run education facility in Waterford is failing to provide students with the minimum education standards required by law, according to an inspection carried out by the state's child and family agency, Tusla.
The XLC Project in Waterford city caters for teenagers who have opted out of mainstream schooling.
The facility has said it very strongly disputes the findings.
The family-run XLC Project opened in 1998 and caters for between 70 to 100 junior and leaving certificate students at any given time.
It is not state recognised and does not receive the state funding available to recognised schools.
The Tusla inspection, which was carried out last year, found that not enough time was being allocated to subjects, and that this prevented teachers from exploring a deep understanding of lesson content.
It found the subject offering limited.
The inspection also found what it called an unsatisfactory acquisition of basic skills such as grammar and punctuation.
All children under the age of 16 are required to receive what is called in law a "certain minimum education".
The Tusla report concluded that this standard was not being met at the XLC project.
However, it did find that students at the project appeared motivated and engaged and were mannerly and confident.
Among its positive findings was what it called the "rapt attention" displayed by students in music classes.
Eoin Jackson, who runs the centre along with his mother Nuala, said they disagreed strongly with the findings.
He said the centre had a close to 100% pass rate for the junior certificate exam.
He said a high proportion of students at the centre had learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, which entitled them to waivers when it came to spelling and grammar.
Mr Jackson said all students who had been the subject of the Tusla inspection had passed their English exams.
