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Pupil-Teacher Ratio.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 July 2006

Tuesday, 4 July 2006

Questions (661, 662, 663, 664, 665, 666, 667, 668, 669, 670, 671, 672, 673, 674, 675, 676, 677, 678, 679, 680, 681, 682, 683, 684, 685, 686, 687)

Richard Bruton

Question:

673 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25830/06]

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Richard Bruton

Question:

674 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25831/06]

View answer

Richard Bruton

Question:

675 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25832/06]

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Richard Bruton

Question:

676 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25833/06]

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Richard Bruton

Question:

677 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25834/06]

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Richard Bruton

Question:

678 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25835/06]

View answer

Richard Bruton

Question:

679 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25836/06]

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Richard Bruton

Question:

680 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25837/06]

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Richard Bruton

Question:

681 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25838/06]

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Richard Bruton

Question:

682 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25839/06]

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Richard Bruton

Question:

683 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25840/06]

View answer

Richard Bruton

Question:

684 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25841/06]

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Richard Bruton

Question:

685 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25842/06]

View answer

Richard Bruton

Question:

686 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25843/06]

View answer

Richard Bruton

Question:

687 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25844/06]

View answer

Richard Bruton

Question:

688 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25845/06]

View answer

Richard Bruton

Question:

689 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25846/06]

View answer

Richard Bruton

Question:

690 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25847/06]

View answer

Richard Bruton

Question:

691 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25848/06]

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Richard Bruton

Question:

692 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25849/06]

View answer

Richard Bruton

Question:

693 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25850/06]

View answer

Richard Bruton

Question:

694 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25851/06]

View answer

Richard Bruton

Question:

695 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25852/06]

View answer

Richard Bruton

Question:

696 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25853/06]

View answer

Richard Bruton

Question:

697 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25854/06]

View answer

Richard Bruton

Question:

698 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25855/06]

View answer

Richard Bruton

Question:

699 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children under nine years who are in classes of over 20 pupils in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25856/06]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 673 to 699, inclusive, together.

The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the following table. However, because of variation in class size and ages of pupils across standards in certain schools the information for those schools is not available for the 2005/2006 school year and this is also indicated on the attachment. Major improvements in school staffing have been made in recent years with the hiring of more than 5,000 additional primary teachers. This represents the largest increase in teacher numbers since the expansion of free education. Today there is one teacher for every 17 children, the lowest pupil-teacher ratio in the history of the State.

Aside from decreasing average class size, the unprecedented increase in school staffing in recent years has also greatly improved the services provided for children with special needs and those from disadvantaged areas. Under DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) the action plan for educational inclusion that I launched in May, 2005, there will be a reduction in class sizes to 24:1 at senior level and 20:1 at junior level in the 180 primary schools serving communities with the highest concentrations of disadvantage. With more than 600 extra resource teachers put in place in this school year, children with special needs are getting more support than ever before. It should be acknowledged how much progress has been made in this area in recent years.

Recently I announced that I have secured sufficient funding to provide even smaller classes in our primary schools in the next school year and the Minister for Finance has committed to a further reduction in class size in the following year. Accordingly, over the next 2 years, my Department will put 500 extra teachers into primary schools to reduce class size and to tackle disadvantage. The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on the 30th September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued annually to all primary schools. At present the general rule is that the schedule provides at least one classroom teacher for every 29 pupils in the school. Of course, schools with only one or two teachers have much lower staffing ratios than that — with two teachers for just 12 pupils in some cases and so on — but the general rule is that there is at least one classroom teacher for every 29 children in the school. Next year this is being reduced to 28 children per classroom teacher and in 2007/2008 it will be reduced to 27 children per classroom teacher. In speaking about staffing in our schools, we have consistently said that priority would be given in the first instance to children in disadvantaged schools and those with special needs. We have done this. And now, in line with the Government commitment, mainstream class sizes are also being reduced.

School Name

Number of Nine Year Olds & Under in Classes of Over 20

St. Thomas Junior N.S. Jobstown, Tallaght

0

St. Thomas Senior N.S. Jobstown, Tallaght

Information Unavailable

St. Mary’s School, Greenhills Rd. Tallaght

111

St. Martin De Porres N.S., Old Bawn, Tallaght

172

St. Mark’s Junior N.S., Springfield, Tallaght

499

St. Mark’s Senior N.S., Springfield, Tallaght

155

St. Maelruains N.S., Kilclare Ave, Jobstown, Tallaght

22

St. Killian’s N.S., Castleview, Tallaght

125

St. Kevin’s Boys, Kilnamanagh, Tallaght

172

St. Kevin’s Girls, Kilnamanagh, Tallaght

153

St. Dominic’s N.S., Tallaght

79

St. Brigid’s N.S. Brookfield, Tallaght

88

S.N. Naomh Colmcille, Homelawns, Tallaght

0

Scoil Treasa, Ballycullen Ave, Firhouse, Tallaght

176

Scoil Santain, Bóthar na hAbhann Mór, Tallaght

126

Scoil An Croí Naofa, Killinarden, Tallaght

0

Scoil Íosa, Tymon North, Tallaght

41

Scoil Cnoc Mhuire Sen, Knockmore Ave, Killinarden, Tallaght

0

Scoil Cnoc Mhuire Jun, Knockmore Ave, Killinarden, Tallaght

44

Scoil Chaitlín Maude, SN Cnoc Mhuire Sóis., Tallaght

133

Scoil Carmel, Teach Giúise, Tallaght

438

Scoil Aenghusa Sen, Balrothery, Tallaght

Information Unavailable

Naomh Maolruain Senior, Old Bawn, Tallaght

113

Naomh Maolruain, Old Bawn, Tallaght

330

Glen na Smál N.S., Glen na Smál, Tallaght

46

St. Killian’s Junior N.S., Castleview, Tallaght

237

St. Aidan’s N.S., Brookfield, Tallaght

Information Unavailable

Belgard Heights N.S. Belgard Heights, Tallaght

152

Ballycragh N.S., Ballycragh, Firhouse, Tallaght

Information Unavailable

An Chroí Ró Naofa Sóis., Killinarden, Tallaght

43

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