School Class Sizes

HC Deb 20 February 1991 vol 186 cc147-8W

Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what have been the average class sizes in maintained primary and secondary schools in Wales in each year from 1976–77 to 1990–91.

Sir Wyn Roberts

The details of average class size are given in the following table. The primary school information relates to the average size of registered classes. In the case of secondary schools, the information is based on registered classes in years 1 to 5 for the period 1976–77 to 1988–89. Data on classes, as taught, is available only from 1986–87 onwards.

Information for 1990–91 is not available.

Average size of registered classes1
	Primary schools	Secondary schools
1976–77	25.8	222.6
1977–78	25.3	25.7
1978–79	24.7	25.2

	Primary schools	Secondary schools
1979–80	24.3	24.5
1980–81	23.9	24.1
1981–82	24.1	24.1
1982–83	23.9	24.0
1983–84	23.7	23.5
1984–85	24.1	26.0
1985–86	24.3	25.7
1986–87	24.4	25.1
1987–88	24.5	24.6
1988–89	24.8	24.3
1989–90	24.8	—
1 As at September of each year.
2 As at January 1977.

Average size of classes as taught in secondary schools1
	Secondary schools
1986–87	19.4
1987–88	19.1
1988–89	19.0
1989–90	18.9
1As at September of each year.