Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 September 2021
180. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education her views on the reason that Ireland failed to provide data on class sizes to inform the OECD Education at a Glance report 2020; her views on comments by an organisation (details supplied) that having 20% of pupils in classes of 30 or more is a national embarrassment; her plans to address the matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45604/21]
View answerWe have provided data for the most recent OECD Education at a Glance report 2020. In table D2.1 page 354 refers, you will find the average class size for Ireland which is 24 for the reporting year 2018-2019. The data published in the OECD report is average class size by country, class size band data is not published.
The most recently published detailed class size information can be found in our Statistical Bulletin - July 2021.
For the 2020-2021 academic year 14.3% of pupils were in a class of 30 or more pupils, figure 5 in the bulletin refers.
assets.gov.ie/139883/8cc02789-a453-4abd-8940-b6195377909f.pdf
Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools.
For the 2021/22 school year, an improvement of one point in the appointment threshold in primary schools has been introduced and schools have been provided with class teachers on the basis of 1 teacher for every 25 pupils which is a historical low ratio. Lower thresholds are in place for DEIS Urban Band 1 schools. In addition, a three point reduction in the retention scale has also been introduced. These measures will help to ensure that less pupils are required to recruit or retain a teacher.
We are currently unable to calculate class size at post primary due to the difficulty of recording discrete class sizes where pupils have different subject choices and subject levels available to them.
