Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 14: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the percentage of children in respect of primary school sizes in primary schools of 30 pupils or more for the years 1987 to 2009; the percentage of children in primary classes of less than 20 pupils for the years 1987 to 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44350/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I am making a table available on class size data for the school years 1987/88 to 2007/08. This shows the improvements over the twenty year period with the percentage of pupils in classes of less than 20 pupils increasing from 3.3% to 13.8%. It also shows how the percentage of pupils in classes of 30 pupils or more has fallen from almost 68% to just over 20%. The information for the current school year will not be available until all the enrolment returns from schools are fully processed.

The improvements over the years reflect our commitment to education and the increased investment when the country was better able to afford it. We reduced the basis on which primary teachers are allocated to schools from an average of 35 primary pupils per teacher in 1995/96 down to the current level of 27 pupils. The change to a new average of 28 pupils per teacher from September 2009 has to be viewed in that context.

Although it reverses some of the progress that we have made in recent years I had no option but to curtail the annual increase in teacher numbers. While I appreciate this will impact on class sizes the reality is that it will not impact on every school rather the change will impact on the total number of teachers in some 10 to 15% of primary schools. The reduced class sizes for the most disadvantaged in our DEIS schools of an average of 1 teacher for every 20 pupils in Junior classes and an average of 1 teacher for every 24 pupils in Senior classes will not be changing in 2009.

In any discussion of class size and classes where the number of pupils exceed the average it is important to understand how the main staffing schedule sets out to treat schools in like circumstances in a fair and consistent manner. The current allocation is based on an average of 27 pupils per teacher and schools make individual choices in assigning teachers to class groups. With over 20,000 individual classes spread across all schools throughout the country there will always be differences in individual class sizes.

It is of course the case that some schools can have class sizes of greater than 27 but this is often because of a local decision by a school to use its teaching resources in order to have smaller numbers in other classes. Indeed, very often when a particular school has a class of over thirty in a particular grade, it is because there is another class in the same school with just 20 pupils or so.

While the budget measures will impact on class sizes it will be necessary in the more testing economic climate ahead for us to continue to target and prioritise our resources to maximum effect for everyone. While teacher numbers are important numerous influential reports have highlighted the fact that teacher quality is the single most important factor — far and above anything else — in improving educational outcomes for children. Ensuring high quality teaching and learning is a challenge and dealing with factors that inhibit it represent a challenge for the Government, the Department, school management and indeed the teacher unions.

I am confident that as the global economy improves it will be possible to build again on the significant achievements of recent years and do so in a manner consistent with overall prudent management of the Irish economy.