Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 June 2017
124. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the fact that primary school classes have on average four to five more pupils than those across the EU; his plans to reduce class sizes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30385/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraBudget 2017 sets out the resources available for schools in the 2017/18 school year. This Budget represents the start of a major reinvestment in education, and the first phase of implementation of the Action Plan for Education, aimed at becoming the best education system in Europe within a decade. The budget provides for over 2,400 additional teaching posts for our primary and post-primary schools in the coming school year. The 2017/18 school year will see a significant increase in teacher numbers (almost 4,700) in our schools compared to the 2015/16 school year.
Budget 2016 provided for an improvement in the staffing schedule in primary schools by 1 point, from 1 teacher for every 28 pupils to 1 teacher for every 27 pupils for the 2016/17 school year and it should be noted that the current staffing schedule of 27:1 for primary schools has restored it to the position it was at prior to the fiscal crisis.
Average class size and the ratio of teachers to students (PTR) are two important measures of the resources that we make available to schools. Our average class size at primary level is only slightly above the EU average in relation to the pupil teacher ratio.
The Programme for Government has a commitment to reduce class sizes at primary level and it is my intention to make further improvements to class sizes over the life of the Government.
