When I started teaching (a long time ago) my first few infant classes varied in size from 42 to 53 (with three intakes a year it could get a bit packed from Easter to Summer). Typically we started the year with 36ish and then took in another 12 or so at Christmas and shoe-horned a couple of others in after Easter. I had a teaching assistant with me one half day a week. Every day was formal teaching Literacy and Numeracy in the mornings (who thought that idea was new eh?) and each child was expected to read every day (the Headteacher helped out twice a week). Standards were amazingly high compared with today. Why ? Read my comments at the end.
When I started teaching (a long time ago) my first few infant classes varied in size from 42 to 53 (with three intakes a year it could get a bit packed from Easter to Summer). Typically we started the year with 36ish and then took in another 12 or so at Christmas and shoe-horned a couple of others in after Easter. I had a teaching assistant with me one half day a week. Every day was formal teaching Literacy and Numeracy in the mornings (who thought that idea was new eh?) and each child was expected to read every day (the Headteacher helped out twice a week). Standards were amazingly high compared with today. Why ? Read my comments at the end.
The Independent has reported a row over class sizes in infant schools rising again as anger erupted over a 200% rise in number of infant class sizes. The report said that a row had broken out last night as official figures showed the number of infant school aged children in classes of over 30 had more than trebled in the past five years. The row is because one of Labour's five key pledges in the 1997 election was to declare that class sizes of more than 30 for five-to-seven-year-olds would become illegal by 2002. Yesterday's official statistics - published by the Department for Education and Skills - shows the percentage of five to seven-year-olds taught alongside at least thirty other pupils has increased since then from 0.5 per cent to 1.6 per cent. In numerical terms, this means 27,882 pupils taught in oversized classes.
The figures - which confirm provisional estimates made earlier this year - were immediately seized on by Liberal Democrats as "an utter embarrassment" for ministers. Sarah Teather, their education spokeswoman, said: "Large class sizes harm standards, affect discipline and are a major barrier to improving schools."All the research in this area shows that for younger children, especially those who struggle in school, smaller classes are vital. Parents who can afford to opt for private education know that because a main motivation for them has always been smaller class sizes."
It is among five to seven-year-olds that the numbers has risen - although the statistics stress that more than half of those over 30 pupils have ministerial permission for the size of the class. This can be given, say, if an extra child arrives in mid term - bringing the number to 31 - to avoid having to turn away the extra child or splitting the class in two.
So, smaller class sizes are about “discipline, and harming standards”. All I can say is that having larger numbers can benefit children – larger numbers allow grouping of children into ability ranges (let me tell you, this is essential) so that children only compete fairly and who then can be taught in groups rather than in full class (terrible if the child does not follow) or singly (takes forever and stresses the child by putting all the pressure on him/her to answer every time). Larger classes require firmer discipline – and children quite quickly get used to appropriate ways of behaving. In my day there used to be smacks on the hand from the Headteacher for serious transgressions but I can’t remember ever using this punishment though I probably threatened it a time or two. The main problem with discipline is that parents no longer back teachers’ discipline – in my early days the parents would usually support the teacher and back up any homilies. All I can say is that I don’t think today’s infant teachers enjoy their jobs anywhere as much as I did.
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