Labour accuses Hanafin of hiding class-size statistics
In its 2002 programme for government, the Fianna Fáil-PD coalition promised to reduce the average size of classes for children under nine to “below the international best-practice guideline of 20/1” within its five-year term. But just two years later, Ms Hanafin conceded that the target would not be met.
Shortly before Easter, Labour tabled a question in the Dáil seeking to identify the scale of the problem.
The party sought a breakdown of the number of children in class sizes of one to 24, 25 to 29, 30 to 39, and 40-plus pupils.
In her answer, Ms Hanafin replied that information in relation to class sizes was provided in the annual census of primary schools.
Her department was compiling the details of the current school year, meaning the information requested by Labour was “not readily available”.
But Labour claims Ms Hanafin is withholding the information to prevent the pre-election disclosure of “potentially damaging statistics that would highlight the failures” of the Government on the issue.
