C.D. HOWE DISPELS MYTH
OF SMALLER CLASS SIZES
Stratford Beacon-Herald

Thu 25 Aug 2005
Page: 1
Section: News
Byline: BY CP
Source:

Provinces that are pursuing class-size reduction to boost
student achievement are wasting millions of dollars on an ineffective policy,
says the C.D.
Howe Institute.

In a report that immediately drew criticism from teaching groups across
Canada, the conservative economic think-tank contends that parents have been
duped by educators who are seeking lighter workloads by claiming small classes
result in better grades.

"They want less marking to do, less distractions in the classroom, less noise
and less parents to deal with," said Yvan Guillemette, the author of the report.

Guillemette said he examined dozens of studies focused on classroom size in
reaching his conclusion that student-teacher ratio has almost no effect on
grades, except at the very earliest levels, such as Grade 1 and kindergarten.

"Spending millions on a blanket reduction in class size detracts from other
uses for the money, and one of those would be spending money on special-needs
students," said Guillemette.

Other strategies, such as improved teacher training, would do more to improve
grades, he said.

Guillemette's report was quickly dismissed by the Alberta Teachers
Association, with president Frank Bruseker saying the 20-page document only
skims the surface of a complex issue.

Edition: Final
Length: 194 words