CLASS-SIZE REDUCTIONS A WASTE OF
MONEY
Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune

Thu 25 Aug 2005
Page: 6
Section: Editorial/Opinion
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 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,'' 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. 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 from 23.7 students per class to 20.9; Grade 4 to 6 went from 25.5 to
23.5; Grade 7 to 9 went from 27.2 to 24; the Grade 10 to 12 bracket dropped from
29.2 to 25.4.

Guillemette called such efforts a waste of cash, saying the reason
politicians like to devote funds toward the teacher-student ratio is that it's
easily understood by the electorate, and easily trumpeted as an achievement come
election time.

''They like the idea, because it's so easy to measure,'' 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.

''It's simplistic and superficial,'' said Bruseker, who pointed to a recent
University of Alberta study that directly opposes the C.D. Howe institute claims.

Bruseker also dismissed the suggestion that teachers are simply trying to get
out of work.

''That doesn't wash - teachers don't get into this to become rich and famous,
they get into it to help kids,'' he said. ''Smaller classes mean they can have a
bigger impact and more success, with more one-on-one time with each student.''

result in better grades.

Edition: Final
Length: 429 words