Industry News
Teachers vote to strike after class size discrepancy is revealed
Posted on 25th March 2008
National Union of Teachers members have voted for strike action in a bid to reduce class sizes, after it was revealed that state primary schools have average class sizes of 26, compared to just 10.7 in independent schools.
They want class sizes in the state sector to be reduced to a maximum of 20, claiming that it is self-evident that children perform better in smaller classes.
A recent survey of primary school class sizes by the Organisation of Economic Development placed the UK 23rd out of 30 western countries.
Stuart Richardson, a teacher from Birmingham, told the Independent of a colleague in the private sector who taught eight lessons a week with just two pupils.
"That inequality in class sizes merely endorses the educational inequality and class inequality in our country," he said.
Schools minister Jim Knight came under fire at last week's Association of Teachers and Lecturers conference for suggesting that classes of over 38 pupils were "acceptable".