Classes of 30 or more pupils rise by 15%

THE number of children in primary classes of 30 pupils or more rose by 15% last year.

Almost 22% of the 490,000 children attending the country’s 3,165 mainstream primary schools, up from 19% of pupils a year earlier, were in classes of that size. The actual number is just under 107,000, compared to less than 93,000 when the figures were last compiled in September 2008, although the overall primary school population is up just 1.5%.

The data released by the Department of Education reflects changes to school staffing last autumn which meant a classroom teacher can only be appointed for every 28 children, instead of every 27 the previous year.