Infants 'in smaller classes'

The number of children being taught in infant classes of under 25 pupils has increased, according to the government.

Statistics suggest the number of infants in such classes has risen from 323,400 (20% of infants) in January 1998 to 499,500 (31%) in September 2000.

The figures were published in a new statistical bulletin 'Class sizes and pupil: teacher ratios in schools in England'.

"These figures reinforce this term's good news on infant class sizes," school standards minister Estelle Morris said.

"Not only have we secured for the vast majority of infants early delivery of the pledge we made in 1997, but the investment in extra teachers and classrooms has led to more classes being even smaller."

The promise to reduce class sizes for five, six and seven year olds was one of Labour's key election pledges.

Statistics published in November showed only 30,000 children were in classes of more than 30 in September 2000, compared with 171,000 in September 1999.

The target is that, by September 2001, no infant class should have more than 30 pupils.

Teaching assistants

The figures also suggest that the number of teaching assistants in primary schools has gone up from 54,100 to 68,700 between 1997 and 2000.

This has brought the pupil to adult ratio in infant classes from 18.4 to 17.2 - and from 23.1 to 21.7 in junior classes.

"Nearly half (45%) all infant classes have at least one extra adult to support the teacher," Ms Morris said.

"Over a quarter (28%) of classes for 8-11 year olds have at least one teaching assistant in support."

Secondary classes

The rate of growth in secondary school class sizes had slowed, Ms Morris claimed.

And, in response to teaching unions which have called for secondary schools' funding to be ringfenced, she challenged them to suggest this would "achieve a reduction".

Heads of secondary schools had been given an average of £50,000 each to spend as they wished this year, which they could have used to cut class sizes by an average of nearly one pupil, the minister added.

But general secretary of the Secondary Heads Association, John Dunford, accused her of blaming heads for the teacher crisis.

"Last year, for example, it was impossible for many schools to cut class sizes because they had to allocate the chancellor's additional money to broaden sixth form curriculum provision, a government reform which received no special additional funding in many areas of the country," he said.

Political targets

Shadow education secretary, Theresa May, accused the government of taking the credit when class sizes go down and blaming head teachers when secondary class sizes go up.

"Secondary school classes are suffering under Labour in order to meet political targets," she said.

"The average size of classes in secondary schools has risen steadily as a result of Labour's class size policy and these figures show that the pupil teacher ratio is higher under Labour as well."

Sourced from: BBC News