108,557 children in class sizes over 30

A QUARTER of primary schoolchildren are still being taught in class sizes of 30 or more, despite Government promises to solve the problem.

Figures released by Education Minister Mary Hanafin to Fine Gael TD Olwyn Enright showed 99,464 children were in class sizes of 30 to 34 during the 2004/05 school year.

Another 8,931 were in classes of 35 to 39, with a further 162 in classes of 40 and over. That means a total of 108,557 pupils or a quarter of the primary school population of 433,530 are in class sizes of 30 and more.