Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Education and Skills Thomas Byrne TD says his party’s focus on education through the Confidence and Supply Arrangements has resulted in smaller class sizes in schools right across the country.
Deputy Byrne made the comments following the publication of the 2018 / 2019 Staffing Arrangements by the Department of Education and Skills. Its publication confirms that the pupil teacher ratio is set to reach the lowest ever level recorded of 26:1.
Deputy Byrne said, “Securing smaller class sizes has been a key priority for Fianna Fáil under the Confidence and Supply Arrangement.
“Approximately 130,000 children are currently being taught in ‘supersize’ classes of 30 to 40 students. This is unacceptable considering it is well acknowledged that overcrowding in classrooms has a detrimental impact on the quality of education that a pupil receives. This is why Fianna Fáil has sought to prioritise the delivery of smaller class sizes.
“The publication of the 2018 / 2019 Staffing Arrangements has shown that our efforts in this area have been successful, with the pupil-teacher ratio set to fall to the lowest ever level recorded of 26:1. We believe that additional progress needs to be made in this area and the next step must be to further increase investment to secure a pupil-teacher ratio of 23:1.”
