Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I am glad to have this opportunity to outline to the House the improvements that have been made in primary class sizes by the Government. Since 1997, the Government has dramatically increased the number of teachers in our primary schools. In that time more then 4,000 additional teachers, including nearly 2,500 resource teachers, have been employed. These additional teaching posts have been used to reduce class sizes, to tackle educational disadvantage and to provide additional resources for children with special needs. Average class size has been reduced from 26.6 in 1996-97 to 23.9 in 2003-04. The pupil-teacher ratio, which includes all the teachers in the school including resource and learning support teachers, has fallen from 22.2:1 in the 1996-97 school year to 17.4:1 in 2003-04. Significantly smaller class sizes have been introduced in disadvantaged schools involved in the Giving Children an Even Break — Breaking the Cycle programme, with approximately 47,700 pupils in 243 participating schools availing of reduced class sizes of either 15 or 20 pupils per class.

The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous year. The staffing allocation system is based on ensuring an overall maximum class of 29 in each school. Where some classes in a school have class sizes of more than 29, it is generally because a decision has been taken at local level to use their teaching resources to have smaller numbers in other classes in the school. As a result of the decrease in the overall maximum class size by reference to the staffing schedule from 35 in the 1995-96 school year to 29 at present, the number of children in classes of 30 or more has decreased substantially. In that regard, the average class size in the 30 to 39 category in 2003-04 was 31.7.

Other improvements in staffing for primary schools in recent years include a reduction in the appointment and retention figure for the first mainstream class teacher to 12 pupils, the appointment of administrative principals to ordinary schools with nine or more teachers including ex-quota posts, a reduction in the enrolment figures required for the appointment of administrative principals to ordinary schools and Gaelscoileanna, the allocation of teaching posts to schools where 14 or more pupils with significant English language deficits are identified and the allocation of additional learning support teachers. In line with Government policy, the Department of Education and Science will continue to provide further reductions in the pupil-teacher ratio within available resources and subject to spending priorities within the education sector. Priority will be given to pupils with special needs, those from disadvantaged areas and those in junior classes. I again thank the Deputy for raising this matter.

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