Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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53. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider changing the way in which pupil-teacher ratio, PTR, is organised to ensure that no class in any school is above the agreed PTR; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35193/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided to primary schools is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September.

The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally. It currently operates on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 27 pupils, with lower thresholds for DEIS Band 1 schools ranging from 20:1 to 24:1 depending on type of school.

The allocation of teaching posts to primary schools on this basis reflects the varying factors in each school, such as classroom accommodation and fluctuating enrolment year to year.  School authorities are requested to ensure that the number of pupils in any one class is kept as low as possible, taking into account all of the above factors.  The Department also requests school authorities to use their autonomy under the staffing schedule to implement smaller class sizes for junior classes.  With over 21,700 classes in over 3,100 primary schools throughout the country, there will always be variations in class sizes at individual school level.