Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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797. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question Number 573 of 17 December 2015, the cost of reducing the average class size, that is, the number of students divided by the number of class teachers at primary level as opposed to the pupil-teacher ratio, to the European average of 21 pupils per teacher. [1051/16]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Deputy will be aware that I have made provision in Budget 2016 for some 2,260 additional teaching posts for our primary and post primary schools next year. At primary level there will be a one point improvement to the primary staffing schedule to be implemented for the 2016/17 school year. This will see the primary staffing schedule operate on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 27 pupils. Lower thresholds apply for DEIS Band 1 schools. The improved staffing schedule is currently available on the Department website.Each one point adjustment to the current 28:1 schedule at primary level is estimated to cost of the order of 250 posts (estimated €15m full year cost, €5m first year cost).

The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains extensive data relating to schools at primary and post-primary level. The most recent published information for primary schools, relates to the 2014/15 school year. The average class size in that year was 24.9.