Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 418: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to increase the number of primary teachers by at least 4,000 and the staffing schedule to be reduced from a general rule of at least one teacher for every 27 pupils by 2007/2008, by one point a year, to one for every 24 pupils by 2010/2011. [18349/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in staffing at primary level in recent years. There are now in the region of 6,000 more primary teachers than there were in 2002. By the 2006/07 school year, we had reduced the average class size in our primary schools to 24, while the pupil teacher ratio was 16.4:1, including resource teachers etc. In that year, schools were staffed on the basis of a general rule of at least one classroom teacher for every 28 children. Given that the national average was 24, many schools benefited from much more favourable staffing ratios than this.

Extra teachers were provided by the Government for the 2007/08 school year to improve primary school staffing so that schools would generally get at least one classroom teacher for every 27 children.

The Programme for Government contains a commitment to provide 4,000 additional primary teachers between 2007 and 2012. With the extra teachers already put in place this year and those provided for in the Budget, we are ahead of target with about 2,000 extra primary teachers to be delivered within just two years.

Over the lifetime of the Government, we are committed to providing more primary school teachers specifically to reduce class sizes. We will also continue our focus on measures to improve the quality of education in our primary schools to ensure that increased resources lead to better outcomes for our children.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 419: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to prioritise reductions in the size of classes in the core subjects of Irish, English and maths at second level. [18350/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Teacher allocations to second level are approved by my Department on an annual basis in accordance with generally applied rules relating to recognised pupil enrolment. In general a ratio of 18:1 is applied in respect of recognised pupils on established Junior Certificate, Leaving Certificate, repeat Leaving Certificate and Transition Year Programmes and a ratio of 16:1 is applied in respect of recognised pupils on the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme, Post Leaving Certificate courses and Leaving Certificate Applied. The rules for allocating teaching posts provide that where a school management authority is unable to meet essential curricular commitments, my Department will consider applications for additional short term support. An independent Appeals Committee is available to school authorities who wish to appeal the adequacy of their teacher allocation.

Significant improvements have been made in the staffing of our second level schools in recent years. In the 2001/2002 school year, there were approximately 24,477 wholetime equivalent teaching posts allocated to second level schools. For 2006/2007, the corresponding figure is 25,454 wholetime equivalent posts.

This increase in staffing has dramatically improved the pupil teacher ratio at post primary level in recent years. The pupil teacher ratio has fallen from 13.9:1 in the 2001/2002 school year to 13.13:1 in the 2006/2007 school year.

Each school management authority is required to organise its curriculum, teaching time-table and subject options including Irish, English and Maths having regard to pupils' needs within the limits of its approved teacher allocation.

In line with Government policy, my Department will continue to provide further reductions in the pupil teacher ratio within available resources and subject to spending priorities within the education sector.