BY THE NUMBERS; ONTARIO EDUCATION MINISTER SANDRA
PUPATELLO PREACHES THE BENEFITS OF SMALLER PRIMARY CLASS SIZES.
The London Free Press
Wed 28 Jun 2006
Page: B1

Section: City & Region
Byline: BY JENNIFER O'BRIEN, FREE PRESS
REPORTER
Source:

Starting with a group of giggling Grade 3 girls,
Ontario's education minister charmed her way through a north London school,
where she unveiled a new web page that lists class sizes.

"Wanna do a subtraction lesson?" a ponytailed Sandra Pupatello asked,
plopping herself down at a table of girls doing jelly bean-assisted math at
University Heights public school.

"Look -- minus one," she grinned, popping a red one into her mouth.

Soon, Pupatello coaxed to the table Thames Valley education director Bill
Bryce, who was happy to show them how to do "minus two."

"This is hard work, this is like trying to figure out that primary class size
reduction plan," Pupatello said.

She announced a link on the Education Ministry's website, where parents can
check if their school or school board is meeting class-size targets for junior
kindergarten through Grade 3.

The goal is to cap primary classes at 20 pupils.

Yesterday Pupatello said the province is nearly halfway there, with 48 per
cent of the classrooms meeting or bettering the target.

By the 2007-2008 school year, the McGuinty government hopes to have 90 per
cent of schools in line with the cap and the remaining 10 per cent of schools
with no more than 23 students.

The debate has generated controversy in recent years. While teachers, unions
and most parents agree smaller class sizes are better for students, some critics
say there's no proof reduced class sizes produce better outcomes.

A report last year by the C.D. Howe Institute, a Canadian think-tank, suggested the
strategy may lead to hiring less qualified teachers and restructuring costs
could be better spent on other policies.

But Pupatello said the government changes are in line with research that
shows more one-on-one attention is better for primary level students learning
basic reading and math skills.

"We want to show parents how primary class sizes are shrinking," she said.

The online tool was designed to provide more "transparency and
accountability."

The Liberal government boasts it has invested $17.5 billion in education. The
money includes funding to allow schools to build spaces for extra classrooms and
money for teachers.

According to the ministry website, 87 teachers have been added to the Thames
Valley board and 22 to the London District Catholic school board.

Forty-four per cent of Thames Valley's primary classes have 20 or fewer
students, up 11 per cent from the 2003-2004 school year. In the Catholic board,
56 per cent of primary classes have 20 or fewer students.

CLASS SIZES

To check class sizes in your school, or at any school board, go online to
www.edu.gov.on.ca and follow the links to the online tracking tool.

© 2006 Sun Media Corporation. All rights
reserved.

Illustration:
• photo by Susan Bradnam, The London
Free Press
• SWEET LESSON: Ontario Education Minister Sandra Pupatello and
Thames Valley District school board director Bill Bryce complete a math exercise
using jelly beans with Melanie Scaini, 9, left, and Yara Ensminger, 8, right, in
Pree Austin's Grade 3 class. Pupatello was at University Heights public school
yesterday to announce a new website established to review class sizes across
Ontario. The Liberal government is aiming for reduced class sizes of 20 pupils
or fewer in the primary grades.

Edition: Final
Note: [email-masked]

Length: 442 words