Schools feel the squeeze as Government fails to deliver on class size pledge

ALL seven classes at Scoil Mhuire in Horeswood, Co Wexford, have more than 30 pupils, with infants learning in a group almost twice the size promised by the Government two years ago.

The 227-pupil school is in an area of population growth and principal Margaret Rossiter fears the situation will get worse before she gets enough extra staff.

The 2002 Programme for Government made a commitment to reduce average class sizes for all children under nine to 20 pupils or less. But Betty Stafford, junior infants teacher at Scoil Mhuire, teaches a class of 33 children.