Donegal's overcrowded classrooms 'intolerable' - McHugh
Nearly one in every five primary school children in Donegal shares their classroom with at least 30 other pupils, a situation that Joe McHugh, TD, describes as "intolerable".
Deputy McHugh was commenting on figures released this week by the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) which show that 3,414 children are in classes of 30-34 pupils, while 285 are in classes of 35-39 pupils.
Class sizes in Irish primary schools were the second largest in Europe last year, according to EU studies. Nationally, 21% of primary schoolchildren are in classes of with over 30 pupils, a situation that INTO says is worsening.
“This situation is intolerable,” Deputy McHugh said, “and even more shocking when consideration is given to the fact that our children are being deprived of teachers and resources so that billions can be ploughed into zombie banks like Anglo.
“It is now patently clear that Donegal primary school children are paying the price for gross economic mismanagement and disastrous government policies. This is despite repeated Fianna Fil election pledges that no child under the age of nine would be educated in a class of more than 20 students.
“In addition, cuts to language support and special needs assistants, on top of the increase in class sizes, have been dramatic and have severely impacted our children’s education.
INTO spokesperson
Sheila Nunan, INTO General Secretary noted: “A decade ago, government promised to reduce class sizes for the under nines to less than twenty in line with international best practice.
“According to today’s figures only 14 percent of primary pupils are in classes of less than twenty pupils.”
She said there is widespread agreement that younger children do not do as well in over-crowded classes. “When class numbers are reasonable, modern teaching methods are possible and there is more teacher time for children.”
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Thursday 17 May 2012
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