Item 2
"The need to improve the standard of teaching by a reduction in the size of classes which could be accomplished in their view by retaining the teachers to be made redundant
As explained in the comments on item 1, the problem of redundancy only arises in the Government primary sector. Here, while the legal maximum class size is 45, the present average is 33, and it is therefore likely that reduction of the maximum class size to, say 40, would have only a marginal effect on teacher redundancy.
In this context,
it should be noted that, in determining the number of teachers surplus to operational requirements, the approved teacher: class ratio is applied to every approved class, regardless of the number of pupils enrolled in it, and the legal maximum has no bearing on this calculation.
2.
Because the present average class sizes are well below the legal maximum - the average in aided schools is currently 38 - the Director of Education does not accept that reducing the legal maximum would in itself necessarily lead to a significant improvement in the standard of teaching. However, this matter will be considered by a Working Party that has been established by the Secretary for Social Services to carry out a major review of all aspects of primary education. Other steps that are being taken to improve the standard of education in primary schools are the gradual introduction of the activity approach in Government and aided schools, and the proposed extension of the length of the basic teacher training course from two to three years.