The government is being urged to prioritise investment in primary schools, as the economy begins to recover.
It's after the INTO revealed that around 12,000 Clare children are in classes larger than the EU average, and warned that this will have long-term consequences.
The Irish National Teachers Organisation says just one in nine of Clare's primary school students are in classes smaller than the EU average.
Over a quarter, or around 3,800 find themselves in super-sized classes of thirty or more children and teachers say this hurts their development going forward.
Darragh Glynn, Principal of Ennis CBS, says children who require extra help are those who lose out most of all.
The Education Minister agrees that she too would like to see smaller classes.
However, Jan O'Sullivan says budgets are going to be very tight again this year, with the population continuing to grow.
That's despite the better-than-expected tax returns, which are up nearly one billion euro on projections so far this year.
President of the INTO and West Clare principal Sean McMahon wants this money to be invested into education.
