Small Class Size Crap
A British Government funded report shows that smaller class sizes do not guarantee improved test results in English Maths and Science.
The statistical analysis apparently pointed to "a clear conclusion": there was no evidence that the size of class had any impact on progress in maths or literacy in Year 4 or Year 5. Nor was there any apparent effect on progress in maths or science in Year 6.
There was "a positive relationship" between class size and Year 6 literacy:pupils in larger classes made more progress.
As a profound cynic on educational research findings I suggest that the researchers stop researching immediately and get in front of a class for a few years.
Teaching as a profession becomes less attractive every year. High quality practitioners are more difficult to find so it makes life easier for administrators to use research like this to say that increasing teacher numbers to keep class sizes small is not cost effective.
Bogsville logic states that if a lesson lasts for 40 minutes and you have 30 pupils in front of you it is possible to offer each pupil just over one minute of your undivided attention - end of story. Throw in one or two unruly pupils and you're finished.
There are just too many variables to make this research meaningful. For it to prove anything you would have to use the same groups with the same teachers and pupils in both large and small class groupings.
You are dealing with individual human beings here folk not bags of screws, nails or cornflakes.
The children from the poorest backgrounds made the least progress throughout - starting behind other children aged seven and falling further behind by the age of 11. Ethnic background was not found to influence children's progress.
What an amazing discovery and so politically correct too!
It just goes to show that spending millions of pounds buggering about with educational initiatives and imposing them on schools actually does sod all to benefit the pupils. It's time government left educational decision making to those who understand what is needed - the teachers.
Posted by Milt at 8:48:00 am
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