Education Minister Mary Hanafin has denied publishing a report critical of student teachers so as to distract from the issue of class sizes as calimed by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation.
The study, carried out in 2003-2004, of the classroom performance of final year student teachers found that only one-third were fair or weak, while one in 20 was described as ineffective.
Mary Hanafin
Ms Hanafin denied releasing the report to deflect away from large class sizes.
"Class sizes are an issue. We brought them down last year and will do so again this year. There will be 800 new primary school teachers this year," said the Minister.
Ms Hanafin added that the report had been released last week without the usual media "launch" and so would have attracted less attention.