Primary classes may shrink

Some primary school class sizes may shrink following a new report into staffing levels which says small schools should have more teachers.

The report, released today, recommends a maximum class size of 25 for primary schools with fewer than 176 students in total, instead of the current ratio of one teacher to every 28 pupils for schools of about this size.

The report was prepared by a staffing review group chaired by Minister of Education Trevor Mallard, which was set up a year ago to investigate pressures on teachers, particularly in poor and small schools and schools with teaching principals.

It recommends reducing the ratio to one teacher for every 15 students in Maori schools and Maori language classes. It also recommends introducing professional leadership staff in primary schools, which would give the equivalent of one full-time position for management and related activities for schools with rolls of 110 pupils and over, instead of the current 300-350.

Wellington regional primary principals' association president Dennis Thompson said the recommendations were positive. There was little research to prove that smaller class sizes improved pupils' achievement but he said most teachers believed this was the case.

Primary teachers' union national president Amanda Coulston today also welcomed the recommendations. She said she hoped that, if implemented, they would help attract teachers to poor and rural schools.

Mr Mallard said it would cost about $220 million to implement all the recommendations. However, that was based on everything being done at once, which would not happen. The recommendations could change and they would not be implemented immediately.

About 310 extra teachers would be needed to implement the recommendation of reduced classroom size for primary schools. About 10 per cent more full-time teacher equivalents would be needed to implement all the changes.

The primary teachers' union will this week lodge its collective employment contract bid with the Ministry of Education.

Mr Mallard also said the Government couldn't afford to implement all of the recommendations if teachers got a large pay rise.

"There will obviously be a balance between the rate of salary increase and the number of extra staff," he said.

Sourced from: The Evening Post