Written answers

Wednesday, 14 September 2011

Department of Education and Skills

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

9:00 pm

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 173: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a school (details supplied) in County Donegal has a range of class sizes of 30 or more pupils; if his further attention has been drawn to the fact that these are some of the largest class sizes in Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23087/11]

Photo of Terence FlanaganTerence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 175: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason class sizes are increasing in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 13; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23125/11]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 173 and 175 together.

Class size data for all primary schools is compiled by my Department on an annual basis and is available on the Department's website. The most recently published data relates to the 2010/11 school year. The staffing schedule is the mechanism used for allocating mainstream teaching posts to all schools. It currently operates on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 28 pupils. Schools have autonomy on how these posts are deployed to individual classes.

School authorities are advised in the staffing schedule to ensure that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible, taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment etc.). In particular, they should ensure, as far as possible, that there is an equitable distribution of pupils in mainstream classes and the differential between the largest and the smallest classes is kept to a minimum. With over 20,000 individual classes spread across all schools throughout the country there will always be differences in individual class sizes.

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