The Belfast Telegraph report that there are more children attending primary school than at any time since 1999. Currently there are more than 173,000 pupils in classes P1 to P7 – an increase of more than 2,000 on last year. The figures were revealed in a Department of Education report, which gives basic details of provisional enrolment figures for schools and for children in funded pre-school education for 2017/18.
Despite an increase in pupil numbers the number of schools continues to drop by 22 primary schools (including preparatory departments) and nine non-grammar schools from 2013.