Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 May 2023
265. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education the estimated full-year cost of reducing the pupil-teacher ratio to 1:15 across primary and post-primary levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24104/23]
View answerUnder the Programme for Government there is a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools.
In Budget 2023, I ensured major investment in our schools and I have succeeded in bringing the teacher allocation ratio to an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools for the 2023/24 school year which is the lowest ever seen at primary level. This was my third successive Budget which saw an improvement in allocation of teachers to primary schools. A three point reduction in the retention schedule, in place since 2021, assists schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teaching posts.
A one point improvement in the staffing schedule at primary level would cost in the region of €20.5m per annum.
Teachers are currently allocated to post primary schools at a ratio of 19:1 in the free education system and 23:1 to schools in the fee charging sector. Each 1 point adjustment to the pupil teacher ratio at post primary level would cost approximately €60.4m per annum.
