Smaller class sizes a 'noble aspiration', says Minister

The Minister for Education Mary Hanafin has said commitments to cut class sizes to 20 by 2007 were a "noble aspiration" - but they would not be met.

Minister Hanafin said the Government is nevertheless committed to cutting the pupil-teacher ratio in schools.

Speaking today, Minister Hanafin said: “The teachers that are graduating at the moment are being used to fill in for retirements, of which we have had 700 this year.

“They are also being used to fill for the extra resource teachers and for the smaller class sizes that we have already introduced over the last couple of years.”