Concern has been expressed over the teacher pupil ratio in National schools in Leitrim and Donegal.
It’s being reported today Schoolchildren in parts of rural Ireland were twice as likely to be placed in overcrowded classes at primary level last year compared with pupils attending national schools in Dublin.
An analysis of class sizes in over 3,000 primary schools across the country by the Independent found what were described as ‘wide variations’ in the proportion of primary school children assigned to classrooms with 30 or more students.
Figures from the Department of Education show almost one in five young schoolchildren in Leitrim (18.6%) were taught in oversized classes in the recent school year compared with just 8.5 % in Dublin.
Other counties with high levels of pupils being assigned to overcrowded classes included Donegal where the figure stood at 16.5%
The latest figures show that pupils attending schools with a Catholic ethos are almost twice as likely to be placed in an overcrowded class as those attending multi-denominational schools.
While pupils attending Irish-medium schools or gaelscoileanna outside Gaeltacht areas are likely to be placed in large classes with 16% in classes of 30 or more.
Reacting to the findings Donegal TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn says the figures are concerning.
