Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 May 2010
536 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the high pupil/teacher ratio at a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; if additional funding will be made for the provision of extra classrooms, permanent accommodation and facilities; her plans to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20346/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers has applied to my Department for additional accommodation to meet their anticipated need in September 2010.
The application is currently being assessed in my Department. A decision will issue to the school in question once the assessment of its application has been completed. In relation to staffing the primary staffing schedule is currently structured to ensure that, on average, 1 teacher is allocated to primary schools for every 28 pupils — every 27 pupils in the case of medium to larger schools. While the staffing schedule allocates on the basis of an average number of pupils each individual school decides on how to arrange its classes.
In relation to the pupil teacher ratio the overall position is that my Department publishes extensive statistical information on it's website including figures in respect of pupil teacher ratios. The most recently published figures relate to the 2008/2009 school year and show that the pupil teacher ratio at national level was an average of 1 teacher for every 15.9 pupils at primary level.
The corresponding figures for the 2004-2005 school year was a PTR of 17.1 for primary level and 13.4 for post primary level. Work is well advanced on the statistics for the current school year and it is planned to publish the results in September. The preliminary indications are that the pupil teacher ratio in the current school year will be broadly in line with previous years.
