When it comes to school class size,
smaller isn't better
The Vancouver Province

Wed 24 Aug 2005
Page: A20
Section: Editorial
Byline:
Source:
The Province

For B.C. schoolchildren, it's been a long and mostly
sunny summer. But sadly, when they head back to class, they'll find themselves
again in the middle of a bitter labour dispute.

After working a full school year without a contract, unionized teachers have
now elected to take a September strike vote. And one of their key demands is a
return to firm limits on the number of kids they have to teach in each class.

But are class-size limits really such a good thing?

The teachers' union, the B.C. Teachers' Federation, obviously thinks so.
(After all, class limits usually mean hiring more teachers.)

So do many B.C. parents.

And so do various provincial governments, which are spending millions of
public dollars on class-size reduction initiatives.

But a study released yesterday by a leading think-tank has found no solid
evidence that smaller classes improve student achievement (at least beyond Grade
1).

"Recent standardized test scores from Canadian pupils aged 13 to 16 years old
show no evidence that smaller classes are better, either for achievement or
classroom atmosphere," concluded the report by C.D. Howe Institute analyst
Yvan Guillemette.

Guillemette says it makes more sense to spend taxpayers' money on improved
teacher training.

Certainly, there seems to be little or no research to back the BCTF's
contention that class-size limits should be included in any new collective
agreement.

Illustration:
• Colour Photo: A study released
yesterday has found no solid evidence that smaller classes improve student
achievement.

Edition: Final
Story Type: Editorial
Length:
226 words