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Summary Results of the September 1998 School Census
27/07/1999
Summary results from the September 1998 School Census are published today by the Scottish Executive Education Department in their statistical bulletin Summary Results of the September 1998 School Census, Edn/B1/1999/3.
The majority of these provisional results relate to the national picture for Scotland of publicly funded schools (education authority, grant-aided and opted out), although some statistics are provided for independent schools. This latest bulletin updates the figures published in June 1998 in statistical bulletin Summary Results of the 1997-98 Census, Edn/B1/1998/9.
The main findings are:-
· At September 1998, there were 3,035 primary, secondary and special schools in Scotland. The large majority of these, 2,868, were publicly funded.
· Just over 789,000 pupils were attending schools in Scotland at September 1998, a slight decrease over 1997-98. Over the same period, the number of teachers (FTE) increased by over 750 to nearly 51,700.
· Around 437,000 pupils attended publicly funded primary schools at September 1998, a decrease of 3,500 from 1997-98. In contrast, the number of primary teachers increased by 320 over the same period, leading to a pupil/teacher ratio of 19.4 in 1998-99.
· In addition, there were 1,500 non-teaching classroom staff working with teachers in primary classrooms in 1998.
· At September 1998, the average class size in publicly funded primary schools was 24.9, virtually unchanged from the 1997 level.
· Around 16 per cent of P1-P3 classes had more than 30 pupils in 1998, compared with over 19 per cent in 1997. This results in 5,800 fewer P1-P3 pupils in classes of more than 30 pupils.
· Just under 313,300 pupils attended publicly funded secondary schools in September 1998, a fall of 1,600 pupils from 1997. Over the same period, the number of secondary teachers in publicly funded secondary schools increased by just over 200, leading to a pupil/teacher ratio of 13.0 in 1998-99. In addition, 2,000 adults attended secondary schools for day education in 1998.
· At September 1998, about 8,300 pupils were based in publicly funded special schools in Scotland. In addition, some 5,800 pupils attended special units integrated with publicly funded primary and secondary schools.
BACKGROUND
1. A census of schools in Scotland is conducted each year in September. This School Census represents a snapshot of schools in Census Week - the week beginning 14 September 1998. Although the content of the School Census varies from year to year vary slightly, a core dataset is collected annually on the number of pupils and teachers from each school.
2. Information on centres providing pre-school education is not included in this bulletin and will be published separately, in the Autumn.
3. The statistical bulletin, Summary Results of the September 1998 School Census, Edn/B1/1999/3, is available on the Scottish Executive website, www.scotland.gov.uk, and from Scottish Executive Publication Sales, The Stationery Office Bookshop, 71 Lothian Road, Edinburgh EH3 9AZ, tel. 0131 228 4181, price £2.00.
4. Public Enquiries (non-media) about the information contained in this News Release should be addressed to Sijbout Colenbrander, Education Statistics, Scottish Executive Education Department, Area 1A West, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ. Telephone (0131 244 0314) or email: sijbout.colenbrander@scotland.gov.uk.
News Release: SE0161/99
27 July, 1999