Fine Gael Education Spokesperson, Brian Hayes TD, has revealed some stark truths about the Irish education system. Deputy Hayes released figures showing that one on four primary school classes now have 30 children or more and that the number of classes with so many pupils has actually increased in the last six years (see table below).

"Despite the fact we have more teachers employed in the primary sector in recent years; the fact is that we are losing the war against oversized classes. If anything we are going backwards, as the number of classes with 30 pupils or more has grown by one between 2002 and 2007 (3,473 in 2002 and 3,474 in 2007).

While some progress in reducing these classes was made in 2003/2004, since then the trend has been going in the opposite direction.

"Over 104,000 children in primary school education are forced to learn in an environment which is more akin to education in the late 1980s. But despite the increase in teacher numbers, up about 5,000 over the same period, progress in reducing larger sized classes has been impossible.

"It is absolutely clear that the number of children in the system is continuing to grow because of the population increase and demographic factors but we still don't have anything close to the number of teachers required in the system. When English language and special needs teachers are factored in, it is clear that no progress has been made in reducing the unusually high number of large classes within mainstream schools.

"The Minister for Education needs to produce the 2008 figures as soon as possible. It is quite extraordinary that his Department has this information since last September and has been unable to answer my questions on the latest position on class size.

"This is the same Government that told us in 2002 that by 2007 no child under nine years of age would be taught in a class with more than 20 children.

"Equally, it was the same Government that promised to reduce the staffing schedule by one in each year over the next three years?"

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