This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Success in reducing primary class sizes
20/06/2002
Almost all primary one to three classes have been
reduced to 30 or less, the 2001 School Census results
confirmed today.
Commenting on the figures, Deputy Education Minister
Nicol Stephen said:
"This is good news for parents and young children across
Scotland. We recognise how crucial the early years of
education are and have taken steps to ensure all children
get the best possible start.
"The 2001 school census shows that we are delivering on
the commitment made in 1999 - to reduce primary 1 to 3
class sizes to 30 or below by August 2001.
"In 1998 there were 921 P1 to P3 classes with over 30
pupils that did not meet our class size commitment. This
figure had fallen to 27 by September last year. And since
the census was taken, the number of classes not meeting the
regulations has fallen further.
"We will be taking action to address this small number
of cases, but I believe that most parents will consider
that we have delivered on our pledge. We have succeeded in
relation to over 99% of P1 to P3 classes.
"By reducing class sizes, early intervention, and a
classroom assistants programme which leaves teachers free
to teach, we are creating a solid framework for learning in
our schools."
The Summary Results of the September 2001 School Census
were published today. Provisional figures on progress in
reducing class sizes were made available during a
Parliamentary debate on 7 February 2002.
Regulations made in April 1999 require all P1-P3 pupils
to be taught in classes with a teacher:pupil ratio of 1:30
or less by August 2001. The regulations took a step by step
approach so that all P1 pupils had to meet the target by
August 1999, P1 and P2 pupils by August 2000 and P1-P3
pupils by August 2001.
Since 1999, resources totalling just over £47 million
from the Excellence Fund have been allocated to local
authorities to assist them implement a class size maximum
of 30 pupils in all P1 to P3 classes.
The Education (Lower Primary Class Sizes) (Scotland)
Regulations 1999 allow classes over 30 as long as a
teacher:pupil ratio of 1:30 is maintained for ordinary
teaching sessions. They also allow certain "excepted
pupils" to be excluded from the count. Excepted pupils
are:
a. children whose record of special educational needs
specify that they should be educated at the school
concerned, and who are placed in a school outside a normal
placing round;
b. children initially refused a place at a school, but
subsequently on appeal offered a place outside a normal
placing round or because the education authority recognise
that an error was made in implementing their placing
arrangements for the school;
c. children who cannot gain a place at any other
suitable school within a reasonable distance of their home
because they move into an area outside a normal placing
round;
d. children who are pupils at special schools, but who
receive part of their education at a mainstream school;
and
e. children with special educational needs who are
normally educated in a special unit in a mainstream school,
but who receive part of their education in a non-special
class.
Children in categories a to c will be treated as
"excepted pupils" only during the school year in which they
are first placed in a school.