Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 September 2016
313. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost in 2017 of ensuring a pupil-teacher ratio to a maximum of 18:1 for each class, not averaged across the school. [27489/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government has a commitment to reduce class sizes at primary level.
Budget 2016 provides for a one point adjustment to the staffing allocation to primary schools, which has been implemented for the 2016/17 school year. The primary staffing schedule now operates on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 27 pupils. Each 1 point adjustment to the staffing schedule is estimated to cost between 250-300 additional posts, at a cost of circa. €15 million-€18 million.
The configuration of classes and the deployment of classroom teachers are done at local school level. My Department's guidance to schools is to ensure that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible, taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment etc.). Schools are also requested, where possible, to use their autonomy under the staffing schedule to implement smaller class sizes for junior classes.
My Department publishes annual statistics on class size data for each school. The most recent statistics are for the 2015/16 school year. These statistics are available on the Department website. The national average class size is 24.9 pupils. However, with over 21,700 classes in over 3,100 primary schools throughout the country there will always be variations in class sizes at individual school level.
