Does (class) size matter?

Today's OECD report does not make happy reading for those in British education - whether on the Government, teaching or parental side. As Nicola Woolcock explains, the report shows that British children not only start education at a younger age, but also have a longer school day than most foreign pupils. Despite this grind, they are not achieving to the same extent, nor do they choose to stay in education beyond the age of 16 (this, of course, is changing, now the Government has decided all children must be in education until the age of 17). A rather depressing state of affairs.

This government has prioritised many different areas in education, but one of these is quite definitely to try and introduce learning at an earlier age. I have written before on the question of whether we are trying to teach our children too much, while too young, and on how important play is. I understand the rationale behind this (to stop any child falling behind at a young age, and never catching up), but am not convinced that this is the finest use of resources. Nor do I think it is the best way to bring up our children.

But one other aspect of this report caught my eye, as it's something which is often controversial and which comes up again and again - class sizes.

The new OECD figures show that the UK has amongst the largest primary school class sizes in the world, with an average of 24.5 pupils per class. The difference between this and British private schools is vast, the largest gap in any country, with just 12 privately-educated pupils in their average class. A lot of people are getting very excited about this, with the think-tank Civitas saying that class sizes for infants must be cut. But does size really matter?

Whether it does or not, this topic is huge, and not just in the UK. In America, 33 states have brought in legislation for class reduction programmes, and there have been similar initiatives in countries from the Netherlands to New Zealand. Just this week, the minister for education in Ireland defended class sizes there, while the Scottish government made promises on this very subject soon after the Executive was set up.

While one might think that that it's obvious a smaller class size would be better for both child and teacher (with more time for each pupil), many argue that this isn't actually true. Earlier this year, the New Statesman's Peter Wilby argued exactly this point, that the reality is counter-intuitive. He also included some research which suggests that reducing class sizes to a level which might make a difference (under 20 for example) is simply not cost-effective.

The problem is that not all the research marries up. There appears to be agreement that class size really matters in the early years (children who start off Reception in smaller classes benefit and perform better), but that the impact wanes as they grow older). It's also wise to point out that good teaching often depends on the teacher as much as the class size. Some teachers don't take the advantages they could from smaller class sizes. Others are brilliant in a classroom that's full to bursting.

But earlier this year, the Institute of Education's Class Size Research Project published its latest research and its conclusion is pretty stark. I think it's worth quoting in full:

"Perhaps the main implication of this study is that smaller classes can benefit all pupils in terms of individual, active attention from teachers, but that the lower attaining pupils in particular can benefit from small classes at secondary level. This suggests that small classes can be a valuable educational initiative right through school, but could be particularly targeted, at secondary level, at lower attaining pupils. If not, the evidence is that they will be more prone to go off task and teachers will have to use up more time bringing them back to task."

In other words, smaller classes can and do matter. They encourage those who find learning harder, not just to behave, so improving the atmosphere for everyone, but also to achieve their own potential. They also help lower the stress levels of the teachers.

It has to be said that the OECD report did point out that in British secondary schools, class sizes are actually smaller than the norm, and long may that continue. However, in responding to the report, Schools Minster Andrew Adonis chose not to focus on that, but instead to make a rather disingenuous comment. He basically said that while there were 17 pupils per adult at primary school in 1997, we should be applauding because there are now just 12. However, this is not necessarily because class sizes have fallen, but because money has been put into hiring more teaching assistants.

I think teaching assistants are great - our daughter's is a much loved member of staff, seen as a shoulder to cry on and confide in by the children - but research suggests that the number of teaching assistants or other adults in the classroom does not have a great influence on a child's educational progress. It's the teacher who is most important, and the more children there are, the less time she or he has for them. This is obvious, isn't it?

(photo by LindaH on flickr.com)

Discuss:

Whether school uniform should be so expensive

Why the school gate can be a scary place

Why Tony Blair might approve of Michael Gove's education policies

Whether children need lessons before school

And why homeschooling might not be such a great idea.

Comments

[Nikki]

I have a class of 34, and I do find it a lot more work and harder going than when I used to have a class of 28. Thinking of the marking - with 4 or more lessons each day, it's 125 more pieces of work a week to mark. At report time, it's an extra 18,000 words you have to write. On occasions when a small group is out reading, for example, the difference in the amount of room the children have when working at tables or sitting on the carpet is apparent and there is immediately a calmer atmosphere. The trouble is that we were allocated pupil numbers for each year group at 105, but a budget that would only allow 3 classes, hence 35 pupils per class!

[Tim Stevens]

"While one might think that that it's obvious a smaller class size would be better for both child and teacher (with more time for each pupil)....the problem is that not all the research marries up.
There appears to be agreement that class size really matters in the early years (children who start off Reception in smaller classes benefit and perform better), but that the impact wanes as they grow older).
It's also wise to point out that good teaching often depends on the teacher as much as the class size. Some teachers don't take the advantages they could from smaller class sizes. Others are brilliant in a classroom that's full to bursting."

This is a classic straw-man argument. Of course when someone says, "a small class is better than a big one", they are not saying, "a small class will automatically receive better teaching than a big class." It is simply saying that a small class is an obvious advantage which cannot be refuted.

Sarah Ebner seems not to be asking, "Does class size matter", at all- which is the title of this piece- but, "Class size matters- but to what extent?"

[JFLEMING]

Between 1961 and 1969 the class size in my year was 32. There were THREE classes in each year, seven hundred in the school. Camden School for Girls - education, discipline and respect. So no, lass size does not matter. Social and cultural class does.

[Stan]

As others have pointed out, class size is largely immaterial. There are just three key issues for achieving high quality education.

One - good discipline. This doesn't mean caning and thrashing, just having rules and making sure that pupils understand and obey them.

Two - good teachers. It's not about how many teachers a child has, it's about how good they are at passing the knowledge on to their pupils.

Three - tried and tested teaching methods. Forget all the trendy teaching nonsense and get back to doing things that are proven to be effective.

Without those three things it doesn't matter if you have 1 - 1 or 1 - 50 teaching.

[madmarce]

One-to-one teaching is optimal, and it's all downhill from then on.

[former teacher]

class size matters!!...the smaller the better for learning no question about it.

[edwin heng]

The ineffectiveness of the education system need not be simply blamed upon the class-size. You could venture into new creative teaching methods and activities targeted at constraints of large class-sizes (which countries with large class-sizes yet embracing technology and creativity are doing - e.g. Japan, Korea, Singapore). You also have to recognise that that poor student behaviour and expectations/attitudes, being overly pampering and indulging on errant kids (under the pastoral care excuse of 'but they are only kids') etc will certainly lead to less effective learning environment and thus outcomes. Good student attitudes, good pedagogy and creative management of activities within the constraints of a large class-size make all the difference. I teach classes of 40 students each, and I have 3 classes = 120 students in total. I love an engaging and student-centred environment, and I can't change the class-size. So what I have to do is to utilise a full range of materials and activities(for language/literature): films, audio clips ... drama, debates, discussions etc. It also means experimenting with classroom manipulation, and activities management - splitting the class into 2 halves during discussion lessons, with half being active vocal participants/speakers while the other half observe and record their respective speakers' views and style, and writing opinion and critique journals thereafter. They then share their observations, critique and opinions with their speakers, and they could discuss/spar further in small groups. In other words, pedagogy can be used, materials can be used. And over here, interestingly, the most dynamic and creative schools are NOT merely the top or private schools. In fact, these top schools are too involved in drilling to achieve results at exams. The less-branded state schools are those pioneering and experimenting with lots of interesting activities and programmes to engage and develop their wards.

Another thought - There was a time when U.K. held the Protestant work ethics, and a decent sense of respect, decorum and discipline, and a never-say-die attitude as being British. Not to say that there was no sense of irreverance and fun, simply that everyone recognises there's a time to work, a time to queue, a time to pub, and a time to play. That was the time when Britain was truly Great, and held up as model for the rest of the world, and everyone felt a sense of 'go-getter' and strove to better their lives with a sense of daring and optimism... That was what we truly admired about Britain, but it all went to pieces after World War 2... Perhaps you would accuse me of having a rose-tinted and archaic idea of the U.K....
Just some thoughts...

[JM]

The only Private schools in London with class sizes of 10-12 are ones that no-one wants to attend. The rest (including the likes of St Pauls and the GDST schools) have class sizes of around 20 to 24.

So it cannot all be down to class sizes. In my experience, it is down to having motivated teachers, children who have a desire to learn and do well and supportive parents with high aspirations.

I also believe streaming is a factor. My daughter and her friends are highly motivated to be in the top streams possible and to achieve the best possible grades they can get.

[j]

"The best private high schools and colleges have 10-12 kids per class, or about 60-70 kids per teacher."

Not true Alice. Magdalen college school got the best results this year of any boys school- 98% A and A* at GCSE and 96% A and B at A level.

Class sizes are about 25 plus up to sixth form and up to 20 in sixth form depending on subject.

What works?

Highly qualified staff, but also a class of boys who sit in lines facing the front, and shut up and do what they are told when the teacher says so.

[Pete Netherlands]

Discussions on class sizes are only taking place because of compound failures elsewhere. In junior school all classes were between 40 and 52 but this was not an issue in a forum where all present wer there to learn and all present accepted the social norms required to co-exist fruitfully in school.
Unfortunately too many children blatantly flout the behavioural requirements, the majority of British parents place no pressure on children to "behave at school" and teachers have little power to silence or remove disruptive elements from class.

[Glenn]

Hey,
I live and teach here in Viet Nam(Saigon) and have done for 3 years. Also, 2 years in Thailand prior to here. It's slightly laughable to compare Viet and Thai methods of teaching and learning with the UK; or indeed any 1st world education system.
Rote learning with mini amp, speaker, headset and a cane to a class of 50 is not what it's about. It leads to linear thinking bereft of common sense.
Indeed, Singapore has huge class sizes but the mindset is hugely different in Singapore. Family values are the holy grail there and reported daily - pick any copy of Straits Times.
The downside of this is teacher 'weathering' is akin to Creeping Ivy. Many teachers have begun to teach internationally as my girlfriend and I have. Your worth is 20 fold that of your home country.
Class sizes are to be kept in the balance. 25 in Reception is far too many 10 in KS2 is too few. Interaction and a sense of community is imperative as mentioned below (I've taught both smaller and larger numbers in all age ranges. Money rules.).
But, if you have a teacher on your team who is a jack of all trades, you steer your numbers towards them with heavier support.
Balance and compromise.

[Marcus]

Interestingly, the same OECD report showed that Japan and Korea have larger primary class sizes than do Britain. These are two countries that are held up as examples of how Britain should be educating its young.

What does this tell us?

[whimsey]

Bigger classes means less individual attention of knowledge of each child, and a heavier burden for marking.

But the most important thing in any class is to get rid of the troublemakers. Just a couple of headcases and psychos can ruin a class completely, so no one learns anything. Until schools get the power to exclude and sin-bin with ease, ALL pupils will be dragged down by the poor, wretched dysfunctional psychos bred by their own poor, wretched dysfunctional parents to be a total pain to themselves and everyone else (all their lives....)

[MarkS]

My primary school had classes of 30 throughout and secondary school had 33 as the norm. Each class had one teacher - no assistants. And we got good results throughout.

What's gone wrong? Is comprehensive education to blame? Recruitment of poor quality teachers? Or does no-one care about education any more?

[wilma]

...so what about the first comments made in this article? UK's schooldays are amongst the longest and we start them off at a very young age. Maybe the process of learning requires shorter days and a more play-based approach for longer? (combined with smaller classes and quality teachers and methods). Kids have an apetite for learning at some point which needs to be exploited, but not in a 9-5, 5 days a week fashion.

[janet]

people who think that large class sizes are ok generally have their own children educated privately where class sizes are small

[Josephine]

The 2 most important things are discipline and methods. If there is discipline and respect in a class it will lead to a good learning environment. If excellent teaching methods are then used, then the emphasis is on the learning and not how many pupils are in a class.

[John Ledbury]

Class size is a function of teaching style. You can teach a class of 5000 if they're all at the same level. If you mix up the abilities you have to keep attending to individual quirks and thus the number you can deal with diminishes.

[JO]

I was mainly brought up in the Far East & education system there is lots of segregation so teachers are specialised in subjects. Here one primary teacher teaches different subjects & each class with mixed level of students so class size is important. But school needs to encourage parents to get involve with their children education development & discipline their kids to respect. Children learning attitudes will have great impact to their achievement & make life easier for the teachers. I found to have some form of competitions in class would motivate one well in my past experiences. Over here everything is over-cautious on self-esteem issue and simply lack of motivation. Children don't see the benefit of doing well in education. I would cultivate that idea to my son since the government is not doing enough and making the current education system down the hill....

[allyson]

having taught classes of 36 and taught classes of 15 i can say without doubt that the smaller the class the more attention each child will get, the more energy i will have to give the children and the easier it is to facilitate learning. of course a good teacher is more important than class size but give a good teacher a small class and what an impact. anyone who has taught will tell you small classes are better for teacher and pupil and only those who wish to defend cost cutting insist it doesnt matter, ok so it might not be cost effective, i wasnt aware that cost was the main issue here, i thought it was education.

[Gina]

It is possible for class sizes to be too small.

I was a maths teacher for many years in state schools in England and found that on the occasional times when I taught a class with few students the room was always very quiet, with practically no interaction between the pupils. This worried me because I believe that talking about a problem to a fellow student can be very helpful. Obviously there are many times when the teacher's help is needed but I believe that conversation about a problem with someone on the same level as yourself and finding something out for yourself is very valuable and that it is something that will be remembered. Teacher intervention can come too soon in small classes.

[Tom Welsh]

No one who has ever attended school can be in the slightest doubt that smaller classes allow better teaching.Although necessary, however, they are not sufficient: you also need good teachers.

[Hayley]

Too much focus on the kids,kids,kids! What about focus on the staff,staff,staff who work their butts off to give these kids an education. The inspirational, dedicated, enthusiastic teacher is the key to children developing a lifelong love of learning and eventually being successful in whatever path they choose. Start paying the teachers a decent income, give them practical support and stop sending them piles of 'new government strategies' to peruse on their coffee breaks. Maybe then the children will have more respect for a teacher as they will have the status they deserve!

[Alice]

You don't have to be a researcher to figure out the class size thing, as a teacher I find it's obvious. Teaching effectiveness is determined by student load, or the number of kids a teacher sees in a day.

A primary teacher sees the same 25 kids all day in one class of 25. Her student load is 25. A high school teacher sees 25 kids in 6 classes a day, or 150 kids. I teach 140 kids every day. Studies show student load should not be above 80-90. You simply can't know all of your kids to the extent you need to with 25 or more kids in 6 classes. My average interaction time per child is less than one minute a day. Compare that to a primary teacher.

That's why class size is more important as the student gets older, they're not one of 25 any more, but one of 150, yet they still need personal interaction to learn. The best private high schools and colleges have 10-12 kids per class, or about 60-70 kids per teacher.

[judy]

TA's offer quite a lot actually. The amount of running around they do allows the teacher to concentrate on teaching. These days the TA does everything else. If support staff are so unimportant, sack them and let teaching staff do it all... fat chance. I bet you things don't improve any either.

[Snuffy]

I agree with Pete. But I have 2 classes with 33 students in them, and I tell you one thing: class size makes a hell of a difference to ME.

[Gipsy]

get a grip Pete. This is not Bangkok or Vietnam. This is a completely different society and culture and what we need is a education model that works best for Brits, not trying to make Brits fit the Vietnamese way of doing things.

Ditto Edwin. Inviduality is a part of British culture. Not carrying ID cards, being a bit lacksidaisel about trains times and queuing are all British traits and a part of the culture and it wouldn't be Britian if that was changed.

We've already seen the effects of one version of 'one size fits all' education, with boys being expected to learn the way girls do.

What we need is more individual attention and tailoring in our schools not less. Either that or teach our kids to not be British at all.

[edwin heng]

Class-size is not as important as 1) teacher quality and dedication, 2) discipline and respect/self-respect & 3) curriculum/programmes' rigours.
A sense of purpose and calling, and a national respect for teachers, matter too. In Singapore, our class sizes are up to 40 per class in a secondary schools, and generally 30odd in primary schools. And Singapore's education system and results are acknowledged to be amongst the top in the world (refer to the McKenzie report).

[Andy UK]

My partner is a teaching assistant in a primary school, and she makes a huge impact on the kids' education - helping the struggling ones to the extent where they now join the class full time. Her teacher has applauded how good she is. So it is not always the teacher who is most important, and anyway as far as the child is concerned they are both called "Miss ..x.." and are both teachers.

[pete uk]

class size is a total distraction - secondary classes of 70 in Bangkok and 50 in Vietnam learning english -achieve significantly better outcomes than 'normal' size classes in UK - why ?? stop pandering to the 'individualised learning' lobby, keep pupils down a year if they dont progress . Penalise ,don't reward with individual help and support -that sends out totally the wrong wishy washy liberal message to kids .
Wake up, UK!!