Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 June 2023
260. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the degree to which the pupil-teacher ratio is being improved in all schools in County Kildare and throughout the country, at primary and second level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31927/23]
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. Budget 2021 reduced the staffing schedule to an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 25 pupils, while Budget 2022 reduced it further to 1 classroom teacher for every 24 pupils. A three point reduction in the retention schedule, in place since 2021, assists schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teaching posts.
At post primary level, teachers are currently allocated at a ratio of 19:1 in the free education system and 23:1 to schools in the fee charging sector.
The numbers employed in our schools have now reached their highest ever level. Budget 2023 provided for a budget of €9.6 billion for the Department of Education. The Budget improvement to staffing allocations means that our primary schools will be staffed at the most favourable level ever seen in September 2023. There has been an increase of over 17,000 teachers employed in our schools over the 10 year period (2011/12-2022/23). Primary teacher numbers have increased from 31,928 to 41,781 or 31%. Post-Primary teacher numbers have increased from 25,808 to 32,981 or 28%.
The latest figures in relation to pupil teacher ratio shows an improved ratio of teachers to pupils from 15.7:1 to 13.7:1 at primary level and 13.4 to 12.2 at post-primary level when comparing the 2016/17 school year to the 2021/22 school year. In the same period the primary staffing schedule improved from 27:1 to 25:1. Average class sizes at primary improved from 24.6 to 22.8 in the same period. The budget measures will continue the positive trend of improving class sizes for this school year, and statistics on this will be published at the end of the school year.
