Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 493: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the action that has been taken to reduce the class sizes for English, Irish and maths as committed to under the Programme for Government. [25866/08]

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 2001-02 school year, there were approximately 24,477 wholetime equivalent teaching posts allocated to second level schools. For 2006-07, the corresponding figure is 25,454 wholetime equivalent posts. This increase in staffing has improved the pupil teacher ratio at post primary level in recent years. The pupil teacher ratio has fallen from 13.85:1 in the 2001-02 school year to 13.13:1 in the 2006-07 school year. Each school management authority is required to organise its curriculum, teaching timetable and subject options including English, Irish 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.