asked the Minister for Education the average number of pupils per class in primary schools regarded as desirable by his Department; and the average number of pupils per class obtaining in (a) the area of Dublin city, (b) the area of Dublin county and (c) the rest of the country.
Written Answers. - Primary School Pupils and Teachers.
89.
It is the policy of my Department to continue, as circumstances permit, to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio until the position would be reached when no teacher would have more than 35 pupils. On 1st February, 1970, the date of the latest annual census from which full statistics are at present available, the average number of pupils per class in the areas referred to by the Deputy were as follows:
|
(a) Dublin city |
42.3 |
|
(b) Dublin county |
40.3 |
|
(c) Remainder of the country |
31.1 |
90.
asked the Minister for Education the number of primary schools with (a) one teacher, (b) two teachers and (c) three or more teachers in existence in the years 1965 and 1970; the number of each category which he expects to exist in 1975; and if he will make a statement of Departmental policy in this matter.
In 1965 there were 759 one-teacher, 2,422 two-teacher and 1,665 three or more teacher primary schools in existence. The corresponding figures for 1970 were 340, 1,572 and 2,214.
It is not possible to forecast the number of schools in each category which may exist in 1975 but it is the intention to press ahead with the policy of ensuring, as the occasion arises, the closing of one and two-teacher schools and endeavouring wherever possible to provide schools which will have a minimum of three teachers.