INTO begins campaign to reduce primary class sizes

The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) has begun a campaign to pressurize the Government into honouring its promises on reducing primary school class sizes.

The teaching union has claimed that Irish class sizes are still the second-largest in Europe, with 50,000 primary school children returning to classes of more than 30 pupils.

The Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats coalition promised in its Programme for Government that maximum class sizes for children under the age of nine would be reduced to 20 by 2007.

However, reports this morning said Education Minister Mary Hanafin was now suggesting that this target would not be met.

INTO vice-president Denis Bohane said today that the ongoing overcrowding was putting Irish schoolchildren at a disadvantage compared to their European counterparts.

"Our children are competing with their counterparts throughout Europe and we have the second-largest classes, so this issue needs to be addressed," he said.