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A TOTAL OF 51,028 pupils in primary school were in classes with 30 children or more last year, according to new data revealed by the Department of Education.
The figures, released by the Department earlier this month, show that 1,637 primary school classes across Ireland had 30 pupils or more during the 2023-24 academic year.
This was a slight decrease from the 1,966 classes which had 30 pupils or more in 2022-2023.
Sinn Féin Education spokesperson Darren O’Rourke called on the government to urgently address the issue of large primary school class sizes in a statement today, saying that large class sizes “have a significant impact on the quality of education our children receive”.
During the 2023/24 school year, the average class size in Irish primary schools was 22.5 pupils – the lowest average class size since 2003.
O’Rourke said that while the national pupil-teacher ratio “has improved”, the issue of overcrowded classrooms remains “a pressing problem”, especially for primary education.
“These figures are completely unacceptable,” O’Rourke said.
“Teachers are overburdened, and it is impossible for them to give pupils the individual attention they need to thrive.
“This is especially concerning at primary level, where the foundation for future learning is laid,” O’Rourke added.
While there were over 300 fewer classes with 30 or more students across Ireland last year, five counties saw increases in the number of 30-and-above classes.
Carlow, Laois, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo all saw their figures for crowded classes increase since 2023.
In contrast, the number of primary school classes in Dublin with at least 30 pupils decreased from 377 in 2023 to 281 last year.
O’Rourke further criticised the government for failing to adequately invest in the education system and for not fulfilling its commitment to reduce class sizes.
He pointed out that Meath, his own constituency, has 87 primary school classes with over 30 pupils.
This, O’Rourke said, highlights the pressure that schools, families, and educators are facing in areas with growing populations.
“The government has repeatedly promised to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio and while the overall ratio across the state is now down to 23:1, this is largely due to demographics, and there are still far too many very large classes,” O’Rourke claimed.
The new Government has outlined a target to reduce the primary school pupil-teacher ratio to 19:1 during its term, in line with promises from Fianna Fáil’s election campaign last year.
It has also proposed targeted measures for schools with very large classes.
While crowded classrooms remain an issue, smaller primary school classes are also on the rise – the number of pupils enrolled in classes of less than 20 pupils continued to increase in last year, with now almost 1 in 5 pupils (19.3%) enrolled in classes with 20 or fewer pupils.
Over a BILLION a year on hosting migrants & yet we can’t even provide a proper education & start in life for the little ones.
@Mary Linton: there’s a real beach vibe to that comment.
@Setanta O’Toole: yes, one of the many benefits of living next to the sea, can’t see the relevance, the link though, to be honest
@Mary Linton: Are you not taking the doggies away down the strand today, then?
@Mary Linton: that €1BN that you and your various accounts constantly refer to represents about 1% of total government expenditure in 2024, a year where we recorded a surplus of €13BN. It is not the cause of these 50k kids being in class sizes of 30 or more – that is a much more complex issue, I’m sure you would agree, unless of course you have a fixation of posting anti migrant guff on this site
@Mary Linton: Yes and when we are firing and imprisoning teachers because they have conservative beliefs and won’t buy into the gender ideology that is being forced into Irish schools…it won’t get better any time soon!!!
Population increase of 50 percent since the mid-1990s ….this has been open knowledge given we now have a census every 5 years, and yet there seems to have been zero work done to future proof the country. So we have everything from a severe lack of housing, to lack of hospital beds & school places, and also looming energy and water crises. The good news is that nobody is responsible or accountable for this, AND the public sector will be getting another pay rise shortly.
So it’s all good
It’s terrible what this government have done to Irish school pupils
There was 32 in our class in the 80s/90s, not much has changed then.
@Paul Doheny:
The difference is we could all understand English. There are many classes now where the majority can’t.
@Regular John: many classes where the majority of students don’t understand English? I don think so. Some classes allright where English is the second language for the majority, but not many where the majority don’t understand
@Kevin Kerr:
There is Kevin, plenty of them where the majority of the class don’t speak English.
Funny how these articles cry out about overcrowding and failures of the system yet are intentionally ignoring the fact Ireland has taken in way too many people that are literally causing them to buckle…
@Kieran Menon:
The elephant in the room that can’t be mentioned…
As a member of the EU, I am absolutely delighted that Sharia Fein MEP Lynn Boylan got kicked out of Israel
Norma Foley was probably the worst Minster for Education ever… I’ve very little faith in Helen McEntee to be any better
It’s the world over we currently living through the last big squeeze then the few will own and control everything. We will eventually all be like animals taken from the savanna and told living in a zoo is much better.
First world problems are growing pains of our successful economy. Full employment and full schools.
@thomas molloy: In my opinion, on paper, we have a very successful economy. Quality of life, social/health care, availability of essential services/goods and disposable income are what a successful nation is judged on.
No school places for kids with disabilities, disgraceful.
no harm
Specifically, class size reduced by 21.5% from an average of 31.8 students in 1985/86 to 25.1 students in 2005/06, and this reduction was greater for junior classes than senior classes. In addition student-teacher ratio declined substantially between the mid-1960s and mid-2000s.
I’m not in the first flush of youth. In my 4th class in primary school we had 52 pupils. I don’t think that such a pupil – teacher ratio is optimal or desirable but I also do not think that any of us suffered any great harm as a result. That was 60 years ago. The teacher was a teacher – not a careerist Union head.
What about school days in the 80s and 90s…class sizes of 30 plus where the norm and no one turned out any worse off..too much pampering and listening to the do gooder brigade
have your say