INTO insists primary class sizes is a political issue

PRIMARY teachers have vowed to continue their strong campaign to have Government promises to reduce class sizes met before the general election next summer.

The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) said it is a political issue. More than 200,000 parents signed letters to the Department of Education last summer calling for the implementation of commitments made by the coalition in 2002. The Government promised after the last election to reduce average class sizes for children under nine to below 20 pupils.

The average class sizes for all primary pupils currently stands at 24 but INTO general secretary John Carr pointed out that only one-in-seven children are in classes of 20 or less.