Written answers

Tuesday, 3 March 2015

Department of Education and Skills

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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511. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which she expects class sizes to improve in the course of the next 12 months at primary and secondary level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9293/15]

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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512. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which she expects to be in position to assist in the reduction of class sizes, with particular reference to locations affected by demographics and currently having higher than national average class sizes, such as areas in County Kildare and adjoining counties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9294/15]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 511 and 512 together.

My focus in Budget 2015 was on obtaining the additional funding that was necessary to provide for demographic growth. The last Budget included an increase in spending on education for the first time in recent years, amounting to additional funding of €60m during 2015.

This funding will be used to provide 1,700 additional teachers and SNAs for our schools, as well as to fund prioritised reforms, such as implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategy, reform of junior cycle, and the introduction of education focussed pre-school inspections.

The improvements in the Primary Staffing Schedule for small schools which I announced last week are the only changes that I will be making to the staffing arrangements for schools for the 2015/16 school year.

The challenge for all schools is to ensure that they utilise their allocated resources to best effect to maximise teaching and learning outcomes. The Government's approach to restoring the economy has helped Ireland to return to a position where we are seeing economic growth. It is a continuing improvement in our economic growth over a sustained period that will enable us to move to a point where we can look again at providing for additional teacher resources in schools which could bring about further improvement in PTR, class size and support for classroom teachers.

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