New survey shows smaller class sizes in city and Fife

THE percentage of primary school pupils in Dundee and Fife taught in smaller classes is lower than the national average, new figures have revealed.

At 7.1%, Scottish Government data shows a relatively low percentage of P1-P3 pupils in Dundee and Fife in classes of 18 or fewer.

The percentage Scotland-wide is 14% with overall teacher numbers up and class sizes down.

The figures are in the annual census of pupils and teachers in Scotland’s publicly-funded schools, which was conducted on September 16.

Scottish Government figures show that since 2016, the percentage of P1-P3 pupils in the city in a class of 18 or less has actually increased, but it is still half that of the national average.

In 2014, just 2.8% of P1-P3 pupils were in classes of 18 or less, which was well below the 12.9% national average that year, and the lowest among all Scottish council areas.

That rose to 7.1% this year, but is still lower than the Scottish figure of 14% and the lowest out of each of the Tayside local authorities.

Dundee City Council has been approached for comment.

Scottish Government data shows that since 2016 Angus has also seen a decrease in the percentage of primary one to three pupils in a class of 18 or fewer. Despite this, the proportion remains above the national average.

In 2014 it stood at 23.1%. This subsequently fell in each of the following three years, to a low of 16.5% in 2017.

However it rose again in 2018, with government figures showing that 20.1% of pupils in P1-P3 in Angus were in a class of 18 or fewer before dropping to 17.7% this year.

In Perth and Kinross, there has been a slight rise in the percentage of P1-P3 pupils in a class of fewer than 18, going from 15.1% in 2014 to 17.5% this year.

The figures also show that in five of the last seven years, Perth and Kinross has been above the national average when it comes to the percentage of younger pupils in smaller classes.