New figures show that the percentage of children starting primary school at the age of four has dropped by 30% over the past 20 years.
According to The Irish Examiner, the percentage of junior infants who are four years old has decreased from 47% in 2001 to 17% today.
Figures from the Department of Education show that the age of junior infants has been “steadily increasing for the past 20 years, although the trend has accelerated in recent times”.
It is most likely due to the introduction of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme in 2010, and its expansion to two years in 2016.
Primary school enrollment statistics are also clarified by the department’s most recent data bulletin, which shows that enrollment in primary schools increased by 113,723 (25.8%) between 2001 and 2021.
In terms of locations, the data shows the largest proportional increases occurred within the Dublin area, while the smallest increase occurred in Kerry (0.9 percent) and Waterford City (0.7 percent), while Clare and Donegal were the areas that saw the largest decrease by 3.4 percent and 1.9 percent respectively.
The report shows that the total number of mainstream primary schools has declined by 55 since 2011, from 3,159 to 3,104 last year.
This includes the closure of 126 Catholic schools and 12 Church of Ireland schools, while the number of multi-denominational schools has increased by 80 in the same period.
The department states these closures are a result of declining enrolments and the amalgamation of schools in close proximity to each other.
The rise in popularity of multi-denominational schools is also a factor, with all 27 newly established mainstream primary schools which opened in the last five years having been multi-denominational in ethos.
However, Catholic schools still comprise the vast majority of primary schools at 88.6 percent.
Total enrolments in Catholic schools fell by 8,458 between 2020 and 2021, while enrolments in multi-denominational schools rose by 1,844.
The report also notes that the number of primary schools with English as the primary medium of instruction has fallen by 62 over the 10 years between 2011 and 2021, while Irish-medium schools inside the Gaeltacht fell by four.
Irish-medium schools outside the Gaeltacht increased from 140 to 151, with enrolments witnessing an increase of 21.3%, while Gaeltacht schools have seen their enrolments fall by 473 (6.3%) over the last decade.