Vol. 495 No. 7
662 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Science the pupil teacher ratio for 1998 to 1999 at primary and second level schools; if he will compare this with the most recent ratios of our EU partners; and the plans, if any, to lower these ratios to the EU average. [21013/98]
The pupil teacher ratio in primary schools for the 1997-98 school year was 21.7:1. It is projected that this level will decrease to 21.2:1 in the current school year and fall to below 21.1:1 in the 1999-2000 school year.
The actual pupil teacher ratio at second level for the 1997-98 school year was of the order of 15.64:1. In the current year, projected enrolments indicate a reduction of about 4,000. Therefore, the actual pupil teacher ratio is anticipated to reduce further in the current school year.
The latest avilable information (1995) relating to other EU member states indicates that at primary level the pupil teacher ratio varies between 11.3:1 in Denmark to 21.9:1 in the UK. At second level, the ratio varies between 6.9:1 in Belgium (Flemish community) to 15.0:1 in Germany. These figures relate only to State funded schools, while data relating to Finland, Portugal, Greece, Luxembourg and The Netherlands is not available.
Any further improvement on the PTR must be considered in light of available resources.
