Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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236. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will allow any flexibility for rural schools when it comes to retaining a teacher in which student numbers have reduced given the continued complexities of Covid-19 in school communities and the impact of the loss of a teacher to a school, its students and the wider community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48910/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. Primary schools are currently provided with class teachers on the basis of one teacher for every 25 pupils which is at its historically lowest level. In addition, there has been a three point reduction in the retention schedule, which will assist schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teaching posts.

This builds on measures in previous budgets which has seen improvements in the overall allocation of teaching posts and specific targeted measures for small and isolated schools as well as primary schools on our islands.

The staffing process contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board, including a specific measure aimed at small schools. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board will meet later this month to consider staffing appeals in respect of the current school year.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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237. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if class sizes will be reduced for 2022; if she plans to move class sizes here towards the EU average of 20:1 rather than the current class size of 24:1; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48917/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools.

As part of the Budget 2021 measures, the Government have delivered on this commitment by the announcement of a 1 point change to the primary staffing schedule and the introduction of a three point reduction in the number of pupils needed to retain a teacher. For the 2021/22 school year the staffing schedule is on the basis of 1 teacher for every 25 pupils. This Budget improvement has resulted in the lowest pupil teacher ratio ever at primary school.

The latest figures in relation to pupil teacher ratio shows an improved ratio of teachers to pupils from 16:1 to 14.5:1 at primary level when comparing the 2015/16 school year to the 2020/21 school year. This compares favourably with the OECD pupil teacher ratio which is 1:15. In the same period the staffing schedule improved from 28:1 to 25:1 for this school year.

Average class sizes improved from 24.9 to 23.3 in the same period. The most recent budget announcement will continue the positive trend of improving class sizes for this school year, and statistics on this will be published later in the year.

The staffing schedule which now stands at a new historical low will also help to ensure better teacher retention in primary schools while also ensuring that less pupils are required to retain or recruit a teacher.

Any further improvement will be considered in the context of the annual budgetary process.