Over a quarter of Clare’s primary school students are in classes of at least 30 children.
The latest figures from the Department of Education show that while the problem has eased slightly here in the last year, Clare pupils are among the most likely nationwide to be in a so-called ‘supersize’ class.
26% of Clare students have at least 29 other classmates, and are among the 121,000 across Ireland who find themselves in that situation.
On the other end of the scale, 14% are in a class of no more than 20 pupils, but the INTO insists smaller communities are struggling as well.
The typical class size in Clare is lower than the national average.