Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 322: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the average class size in both primary and secondary schools in County Kildare for each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39635/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The most recent data on average class size in primary schools in County Kildare are as follows.

Data on pupil-teacher ratio, which is the appropriate measure at post-primary level, is not available on a county basis.

Major improvements in school staffing have been made in recent years with the hiring of more than 5,000 additional primary teachers. This represents the largest increase in teacher numbers since the expansion of free education. The annual estimated value of the additional expenditure on these posts is over €200 million. Today there is one teacher for every 17 children, the lowest pupil-teacher ratio in the history of the State.

Significant improvements have also been made in the pupil-teacher ratio at post-primary level in recent years. The ratio has fallen from 16:1 in the 1996 to 1997 school year to 13.4:1 in the 2004 to 2005 school year. Aside from decreasing average class size, the unprecedented increase in school staffing in recent years has also greatly improved the services provided for children with special needs and those from disadvantaged areas.

Under the action plan for tackling disadvantage published earlier this year, there will be a reduction in class sizes of 24:1 at senior level and 20:1 at junior level in 150 primary schools serving communities with the highest concentrations of disadvantage. With more than 600 extra resource teachers put in place this term, children with special needs are getting more support than ever before. It should be acknowledged how much progress has been made in this area in recent years.

There is more to be done to reduce class sizes further. Recently, I announced that I have secured sufficient funding to provide even smaller classes in our primary schools in the next school year. The Minister for Finance has committed to a further reduction in class size in the following year. Accordingly, over the next two years, my Department will put 500 extra teachers into primary schools to reduce class size and to tackle disadvantage. In dealing with staffing in our schools, we have consistently said that priority would be given in the first instance to children in disadvantaged schools and those with special needs. We have done this. In line with the Government commitment, mainstream class sizes are also being reduced.