asked the Minister for Education how many additional teachers were needed in 1964 to secure (a) the Council of Education's targets for maximum numbers of pupils per teacher, and (b) the target of a maximum of 35 pupils per teacher mentioned in his reply of 23rd July, 1969; and how many additional teachers would now be needed to attain each of these targets.
Ceisteanna—Questions, Oral Answers. - Teacher-Pupil Ratio.
87.
The Council of Education which reported in 1954 recommended that the average number of pupils on rolls in a one-teacher school should not exceed 25 and in a two-teacher school should not exceed 30. One- and two-teacher schools are being closed as suitable opportunities present themselves and, therefore, no purpose would be served by making calculations by reference to the recommendations of the council. As regards the target of a maximum of 35 pupils per teacher, I would refer the Deputy to my reply of the 11th December. I might add that since 1954 the number of teachers in the service has been increased by 1,593 while the average number of pupils on rolls has increased by 18,018.