Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 June 2016
133. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he expects to be in a position to improve the pupil-teacher ratio at primary or second level in the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18262/16]
View answer155. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he expects to improve the pupil-teacher ratio over the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18534/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 155 together.
Budget 2016 made provision for some 2,260 additional teaching posts for our primary and post primary schools next year. These posts will provide for an improvement in the staffing schedules at primary and post primary levels, enhance the leadership and management roles of deputy principals at post-primary level by reducing their teaching time, an improvement to the scheme of release time for principal teachers at primary level and additional resource posts to meet special education needs.
At primary level there will be a one point improvement to the primary staffing schedule to be implemented for the 2016/17 school year. This will see the primary staffing schedule operate on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 27 pupils. Lower thresholds apply for DEIS Band 1 schools.
At post-primary level the schedule will improve by .3 points, from 19:1 to 18.7:1 for the 2016/17 school year. The position of post-primary DEIS schools will be further enhanced for the 2016/17 school year by a change to an allocation on the basis of 17.95:1 down from 18.25:1.
The Programme for Government has a commitment to reduce class sizes at primary level. In the next Budget I will consider the best approach to further meeting commitments in the Programme for Government.
