§ 21. Mr. CoakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what progress has been made in reducing class sizes for five, six and seven-year-olds; and if he will make a statement. [88987]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisWe are on course to meet our pledge to limit infant class sizes for five, six and seven-year-olds to 30 or below by September 2001. There were almost 130,000 fewer infants in classes over 30 in January this year than in January 1998. We expect the number of infant pupils in classes over 30 to fall below 200,000 by September, a reduction of almost 60 per cent. on the January 1998 figure of 485,000.