Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article5485109.ece
Date: Jan 10, 2009

As the London Times Online reports, British private schools are being urged by their association to start moving towards larger class sizes.  As the article reports, ”Typical class sizes in prep schools range from 8 to 16, while secondary schools belonging to the Independent Schools Council boast a pupil-teacher ratio of 10-1, against an average of 26 and 21 pupils per teacher in state primary and secondary schools.”

Despite evidence to the contrary, showing that student learning improves in direct correlation to the decrease of class size, this decision is being made based on the all powerful budget, and the assumption that the answer is quality.  As if quality of instruction is independent from class size.  In actuality, class size is a confounding factor in any measure of quality of instruction, if not accounted for.  Therefore, what are parents to do with their tuition dollars and their misplaced ideas of quality?

Parents and students, should start seeking new solutions for education.  Solutions that account for individual variation and recognize that individual learning is maximized in direct relation to individual attention, and that it is all dependent upon the student’s enjoyment in, and motivation towards, that discipline.

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