Reducing class sizes 'may not be best use of resources'

February 11 2011

Spending money reducing class sizes may not be the best use of education resources, it has been suggested.

Richard Cairns, headmaster at Brighton College, argued that schools should not be so hung up on the idea that small class sizes can help to improve learning, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Speaking at a conference for independent schools in London, he said: "We must challenge the notion that smaller class sizes are necessarily the best use of resources.

"That is difficult for independent schools because [class size] is what many parents see as an indicator of the quality of teaching."

Mr Cairns added that perhaps schools should dedicate more resources to recruiting teachers of high quality, rather than trying to get numbers down.

In related news, a team-teaching scheme at Bure Valley School in Aylsham was hailed as a success earlier this week.

The initiative involved grouping all year three pupils into a class of 70, with two teachers and three teaching assistants.

News brought to you by TimePlan, the UK's FIRST for teaching jobs

Want to know more about teaching in the UK?
 

News Homepage