CLASS SIZE DISPUTED; SMALLER DOESN'T MEAN
BETTER
The Calgary Sun
Thu 25 Aug 2005

Page: 10
Section: News
Byline: BY MICHAEL PLATT, CALGARY SUN

Source:

Smaller classes do nothing to improve learning, and the
Alberta government is wasting $149 million by hiring 2,265 new teachers to
reduce student ratios, says the C.D. Howe Institute.

In a report that immediately drew criticism from teaching groups across
Canada, the economic think-tank contends that parents have been duped by
educators who are seeking lighter work loads, 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 -- of course they are; I don't know anyone who
wants to take on more work for the fun of it," said Yvan Guillemette, a
policy analyst with C.D. Howe and the
report's author.

Guillemette said he examined dozens of studies focused on class size in
reaching his conclusion that student-teacher ratio has almost no effect on
grades, except at the very earliest levels, like 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.

In 2004, the Alberta government announced a three-year hiring spree of 2,265
teachers, worth $149 million.

The extra staff has reduced class sizes in Calgary: kindergarten to Grade 3
has dropped to 20.9 students per class from 23.7; Grade 4 to 6 went to 23.5 from
25.5; Grade 7 to 9 went to 24 from 27.2; the Grade 10 to 12 bracket dropped to
25.4 from 29.2.

The 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.

He scoffed at the idea of teachers trying to lighten their workload and said
those using and paying for classrooms notice a difference.

Edition: Final
Length: 300 words