Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 2 Nov 1999

Vol. 509 No. 6

Written Answers. - Pupil-Teacher Ratio.

Joe Higgins

Question:

610 Mr. Higgins (Dublin West) asked the Minister for Education and Science if he has received a submission from ASTI entitled Second Level Schools Urgently Need Smaller Class Sizes and More Teachers; and, if so, if he will ensure that provision will be made in the forthcoming budget to ensure this. [21421/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

At the outset, I should point out that this school year is seeing the first allocation of additional teachers to second level schools for some years. This year provision was made for 225 additional teachers and this, together with the retention of some 130 teachers who would otherwise have been redeployed, is enabling us to provide a remedial teaching service in every second level school and also to bring all disadvantaged schools into the home school liaison scheme. I have also made improvements in the provisions available for guidance in our schools with a guaranteed minimum allocation now available to every school.

In addition to providing for additional teachers, I have, this year, introduced a new retention ratio for secondary schools. The impact of this is to retain in schools teachers who would otherwise be liable to be redeployed. In all some 150 teachers have been retained under this initiative and these teachers will continue to be available to improve the quality of education in our schools.

At second level the issue of disadvantage is closely linked to the incidence of early school leaving. For that reason I have put in place a number of initiatives focused on this difficult and intractable problem. In addition to the eight to 15 initiative, a new stay in school initiative is now commencing.

The issue of class size in second level schools is very complex. Analysis of this issue conducted by my Department indicates a very varied pattern of class size across the second level sector. In general, senior cycle classes are appreciably smaller than those at junior cycle and the pattern across subjects can vary significantly. It is in the nature of some subjects that they attract a relatively small cohort while traditionally core subjects account for larger classes. It is also the case that schools with like enrolments and resources can have quite different patterns of class size.

I am sure the Deputy will agree that the principal concern in relation to class size must be the impact on educational attainment. In this regard, the great body of research indicates that the major impact of class size is to be found in the early years of primary education and for disadvantaged groups in particular.

In the 1998-99 school year the pupil teacher ratio at second level was approximately 15.4 to 1. Allowing for the increase of some 225 teachers and a projected drop in enrolments, it is expected that the pupil teacher ratio will reduce to approximately 15.1 to 1 in the current school year. This represents a decline in the actual PTR from that which prevailed in the 1970s. Within the current PTR there are a large number of very small classes.

Approaches to enrolment and redeployment at second level have remained relatively static over many years and one result of this is that there is no necessary link between the allocation of additional teachers and the achievement of key educational priorities such as widening subject and program choice. It is also the case that present redeployment arrangements fail to achieve a balancing of necessary resources among schools. For these reasons, I have recently written to the union and management interests indicating my intention of having these issues examined by a technical or expert group in consultation with the various interests.

As Minister, I have a strong commitment to continuing to improve the resources available to our schools. It is vitally important that investment in education in all its forms has the ultimate well-being of the pupil at its core and I see the review which I have mentioned as being of considerable value in achieving this objective.