Teachers call for all class sizes to be cut

Published on Wednesday 21 May 2008 22:24

TEACHERS' leaders yesterday urged ministers to cut class sizes across the board, as they warned there could be "problems" when pupils move from smaller classes into larger ones.

The SNP has pledged to cut to 18 the class sizes for primaries one to three.

But leaders of the teachers' union the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) argued smaller classes sizes needed to be continued throughout schools, otherwise youngsters could suffer.

The union is calling for class sizes to be brought down over time to a maximum of 20 in both primary and secondary schools.

David Drever, the EIS vice-president, said: "Where there is evidence of setback in attainment, it is where youngsters have moved from a small class size situation into a much a larger one.

"Obviously a time will come when these primary three youngsters who are sitting in a class of less than 18 will move potentially to a class of 30."

Helen Connor, the EIS vice-president elect, warned that when pupils moved from a small primary class into a much bigger one "you actually lose any benefit you have gained fairly quickly".

The union has submitted a petition, which was signed by almost 80,000 people, calling for "significant reductions" in class sizes over the four years of this parliament.

A paper submitted to MSPs from experts at SCRE Centre – an educational research centre at Glasgow University – stated that smaller classes "do seem to impact on pupils' attainment".

It added that such a policy was "costly" to implement and warned other factors, such as the quality of teaching, could also have an impact.

Ms Hyslop has said the pace of implementing the pledge to cut primary class sizes will vary across the country. However, she has insisted all 32 councils are expected to show "significant progress" towards the target.

Ronnie Smith, the EIS general secretary, stated: "I don't think there is any disagreement that reduced class sizes are desirable."