asked the Minister for Education (a) the total number of primary classes in the greater Dublin area; (b) the total number of pupils in such classes; (c) the number of such classes with more than 35, 40 and 45 pupils; and (d) the number of pupils in each group.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Primary School Classes.
48.
The information sought by the Deputy, in so far as it is available, is in the form of a tabular statement, which with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.
Following is the information:
Primary School classes in the greater Dublin Area
Primary school classes on 1st February 1971
|
All Classes |
Classes with 30 to 39 pupils |
Classes with 40 to 44 pupils |
Classes with 45 or more pupils |
|
|
Number of classes |
2,738 |
511 |
689 |
1,276 |
|
Number of pupils |
114,743 |
18,051 |
29,208 |
61,278 |
How many classes are there in the primary schools in the city of Dublin with more than 45 pupils in them?
This information is given in the tabular statement.
How many classes are there in the primary schools in the city of Dublin with more than 45 pupils in them? I do not mind admitting that as a grandfather I have a personal interest in this.
The Minister was better briefed on Deputy Power's supplementary.
In Dublin city and Dún Laoghaire there are 1,276 classes.
I am not clear on this. How many classes are there in Dublin city and Dún Laoghaire with more than 45 pupils in them? This, I take it, is in the tabular statement.
I gave the answer: 1,276.
Good God—in this year of our Lord.
That is at least 65,000 children.
The Minister should resign.
We are endeavouring to reduce this number as quickly as possible.
After 40 years that is a notable statement.
We are concerning ourselves with the classes of over 50. We are succeeding in reducing these very considerably.
The Minister told us this more than six months ago.
Question No. 49.
How soon does the Minister think he will be able to reduce those classes?
That is a separate question.
I will be dead anyway.
I have said on many occasions that we are training far more teachers than we ever trained before. We are accepting teachers who are English-trained; we are rationalising our whole primary school system through amalgamation and we are taking in mature students into the training colleges. We have far more teachers in training than we ever had before. If we were to take the whole schoolgoing population and relate it to all of the teachers in the primary school system the ratio would be one teacher to 32 students.
That is too many.
I am calling Question No. 49.
That is too many. In Dublin we have many classes with over 60 students.
I have pointed out to the Deputy that never before have we had so many teachers in training.
I am calling Question No. 49. This is not an Estimate for Education.
We are doing everything possible to reduce the numbers in the classes.
(Interruptions.)
Order. I am calling Question No. 49. This is not the Estimate for Education.
We have reduced the number of classes in which there were 50 and over.