Classrooms 'second most crowded in EU'
- Last Updated: Monday, 08 September 2008 01:00
Primary school teachers have said that classrooms in Ireland are the second most crowded in the EU.
They have accused the Government of failing to honour repeated promises to reduce class sizes.
General Secretary of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation John Carr said the Department of Education's own figures, released today, show almost 100,000 children remain in classes of more than 30 pupils.
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He said just one in ten children are in classes of less than 20.
In response, a spokesman for the Minister for Education said there are now 30,000 primary school teachers - 6,000 more than there were in 2002.
He said 80% of pupils are now in classes of fewer than 30 pupils.
The spokesman added that the pupil to teacher ratio is 16 to one.
He also said that this year the department is creating 7,000 new school places, a figure that is unprecedented in the history of the State.
