Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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541. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her Department's official position on multigrade classrooms in schools and the research and evidence it uses to inform this position. [2698/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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In Ireland, given the number of relatively small schools that have four teachers or fewer, multi-grade classes are the norm in the majority of our primary schools. This position is reflected in the centrally-devised Primary School Curriculum (1999) which articulates a progressive and developmental learning experience for our pupils. General guidance and advice for teachers are provided in National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) curriculum documents, and assessment guidelines etc. that are applicable to all primary schools.

The Primary School Curriculum (1999), which is child-centred rather than subject-centred, also allows for flexibility in timetabling and teaching methods. It emphasises that children should experience learning through a variety of classroom organisational approaches. While these include individual learning and whole-class teaching, the curriculum particularly encourages collaborative learning through pair work and group work as appropriate to the specific learning contexts and goals. Within multi-grade classes, teachers may use a range of models for grouping pupils, including mixed-ability grouping. Integration and differentiation are also key approaches in the primary curriculum. The organisation of teaching and learning through integrated themes can be highly motivating and satisfying for children and are particularly useful in multi-class situations.