A TOTAL OF 51,028 pupils in primary school were in classes with 30 children or more last year, according to new data revealed by the Department of Education.

The figures, released by the Department earlier this month, show that 1,637 primary school classes across Ireland had 30 pupils or more during the 2023-24 academic year.

This was a slight decrease from the 1,966 classes which had 30 pupils or more in 2022-2023.

Sinn Féin Education spokesperson Darren O’Rourke called on the government to urgently address the issue of large primary school class sizes in a statement today, saying that large class sizes “have a significant impact on the quality of education our children receive”.

During the 2023/24 school year, the average class size in Irish primary schools was 22.5 pupils – the lowest average class size since 2003.

O’Rourke said that while the national pupil-teacher ratio “has improved”, the issue of overcrowded classrooms remains “a pressing problem”, especially for primary education.

“These figures are completely unacceptable,” O’Rourke said.

“Teachers are overburdened, and it is impossible for them to give pupils the individual attention they need to thrive.

“This is especially concerning at primary level, where the foundation for future learning is laid,” O’Rourke added.

While there were over 300 fewer classes with 30 or more students across Ireland last year, five counties saw increases in the number of 30-and-above classes.

Carlow, Laois, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo all saw their figures for crowded classes increase since 2023.

In contrast, the number of primary school classes in Dublin with at least 30 pupils decreased from 377 in 2023 to 281 last year.

O’Rourke further criticised the government for failing to adequately invest in the education system and for not fulfilling its commitment to reduce class sizes.

He pointed out that Meath, his own constituency, has 87 primary school classes with over 30 pupils.

This, O’Rourke said, highlights the pressure that schools, families, and educators are facing in areas with growing populations.

“The government has repeatedly promised to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio and while the overall ratio across the state is now down to 23:1, this is largely due to demographics, and there are still far too many very large classes,” O’Rourke claimed.

The new Government has outlined a target to reduce the primary school pupil-teacher ratio to 19:1 during its term, in line with promises from Fianna Fáil’s election campaign last year.

It has also proposed targeted measures for schools with very large classes.

While crowded classrooms remain an issue, smaller primary school classes are also on the rise – the number of pupils enrolled in classes of less than 20 pupils continued to increase in last year, with now almost 1 in 5 pupils (19.3%) enrolled in classes with 20 or fewer pupils.