Class size matters
The Edmonton Journal
Sat 27 Aug 2005
Page: A18

Section: Opinion
Byline:
Source: The Edmonton Journal

It may well be that children in smaller classes don't get
substantially different marks overall than their counterparts in more crowded
classrooms, though the evidence is by no means clear on this question.

But what the C.D. Howe Institute overlooks in its most recent pronouncement
on the fruitlessness of trying to reduce class sizes is any indicator other than
strict academic achievement.

Even if one accepts at face value their determination that children in
classes of 16 don't do significantly better academically than children in
classes of 37, they fail to evaluate the quality of the experience those
children receive.

Did they get more individual attention from the teacher? Did they have more
opportunities to speak up in class?

It is not just teachers who benefit from smaller classes. It is students too,
particularly if one looks beyond their marks.

Edition: Final
Story Type: Editorial
Length:
140 words