Ireland has most children per class

IRELAND has the largest number of children per class in Europe and our teachers have to work longer than most to earn the top salary, a report revealed yesterday.

There are 18 pupils for every teacher in the country, and the figure is 21 at primary school level. This compares to just 10 pupils per teacher in Danish primary schools.

While the pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) is not an exact measure of average class sizes, it gives a clear indication of comparative figures across Europe. Falling student numbers and more teacher training places have helped reduce PTRs here in the last five years, but more than 100,000 primary school pupils are still in classes of 30 children or more.

At second level, only five countries Finland, Lithuania, Malta, Poland and Macedonia have more children in classrooms than the Irish average of 16 students.

The figures for 30 European countries are revealed in the Key Data on Education in Europe 2002 report, produced by Eurydice, the information network on education, and Eurostat.

The Irish National Teachers Organisation said the Government must take immediate action to provide more teachers.

"A cut in infant class sizes should be a priority so the correct foundations for learning can be laid down. Other countries have reduced numbers in infant classes and small classrooms and that must be looked at here," said INTO general secretary John Carr.

The Eurydice report also shows that the difference between the minimum teacher's salary and the maximum €23,000 and €44,500 is one of the widest in Europe.

The greatest gaps between lowest and highest salaries relative to the average standard of living are in Portugal and Cyprus, but Ireland is one of six other countries where there are significant differences.

The country's 45,000 teachers at primary and second level must work for 25 years before they reach the top of their pay scale, compared to an average of up to 15 years in other public sector jobs.

The Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland said the European figures highlight the plight or Irish teachers. "There is no proper career structure in teaching, there are more than 20,000 teachers at second level ploughing through an enormously long salary scale," said ASTI deputy general secretary, John White.