Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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356. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the required pupil teacher ratio for a junior co-educational school with nine teachers. [41873/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The staffing schedule is an allocation mechanism that uses enrolment bands to determine the number of classroom teaching posts allocated to a school. Primary schools are currently provided with class teachers on the basis of one teacher for every 26 pupils which is at its historically lowest level.  

Under the current staffing schedule, a non-DEIS Urban Band 1 school  with an enrolment, on the previous 30th September, between 226 and 250 pupils would have a mainstream staffing of Administrative Principal and 9 class teachers. 

Budget 2021 will implement a further 1 point reduction for the 2021/22 school year so that primary schools will be allocated teaching posts on an average basis of 1 classroom teacher for every 25 pupils. In addition, there has been a three point reduction in the retention schedule. This measure will help ensure better teacher retention in primary schools while also ensuring that  less pupils are required to retain or recruit a teacher.   The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally, irrespective of location.

The configuration of classes and the deployment of classroom teachers are done at local school level. The Department's guidance to schools is 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.).