The average size of primary school classes has hit its lowest level in more than 25 years. Kildare schools have the largest average classes, while Longford has the smallest. Figures from the Department of Education show the average class size is now 22.2 pupils, down from 22.5 in the 2023/2024 school year, as a result of almost 18,000 fewer children in first level education. It's resulted in almost eight thousand fewer students being taught in overcrowded classes last year.
The figures in the Irish Independent show just 8.2 per cent of primary school pupils were in a class of 30 or more, compared to 9.5 per cent the previous year. The biggest classes are in Kildare, where there's a 23.8 pupil average, while Longford has the smallest average classes at 20.5 children. The average per class in Leitrim is 22.6 whilst its 20.9 in Roscommon. Only one school in the country had a class with over 40 pupils, in north Cork, while 790 schools had at least one oversized class, down from 858.
