Extra teachers will see class sizes cut, vows Minister
Primary schools will witness a reduction in class sizes this September as 500 additional teachers take their positions, a senior minister promised today.
Education Minister Mary Hanafin said the majority of additional teachers employed have been providing extra support for children with special needs, those from disadvantaged areas and international pupils.
Ms Hanafin said: “Now that these priorities have been largely addressed, extra teachers will be provided over the next two years, specifically to reduce class sizes in primary schools.
“What this will mean is 500 extra teachers in primary schools this September and the Government has committed to further reduce class size in September 2007. I have specifically asked schools to target these additional posts at junior classes.”
The Education Department said the average class size in primary schools stands at 24 – with one teacher, including resource teachers, for 17 pupils at primary level. It claimed when the school term starts next September there would be almost 4,000 more primary teachers than there were in 2002.
Last week, the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) said figures have shown the number of primary school pupils in classes of 30 or more has increased by 5,000 over the past two years.
INTO general secretary John Carr has said the numbers show the scale of the problem and prove a lack of progress by the Government in tackling the issue.
