Jorge Werthein

Teachers demand smaller

classes pledge from ministers

By Angela Harrison BBC News education correspondent, at the NUT conference in Liverpool

The average class size for infants in England was 26.2 pupils

Cutting class sizes in schools in England should be a top priority for any new government, teachers have said.

Some classes are still "hideously over-crowded," said the head of the National Union of Teachers, Christine Blower.

The union, meeting in Liverpool, is calling for classes to be limited to 20 children by 2020, to give children "the best opportunity".

Schools in England are not allowed to have more than 30 children in classes for five to seven-year-olds.

In Scotland, there is a commitment to cut class sizes for the three first years of primary school to 18 pupils, but the Scottish Nationalists have faced criticism over delays in achieving that aim.

A snapshot survey in England of 700 NUT members by the union found almost six in 10 thought cutting class sizes should be among the top priorities of a new government.

'Hideously overcrowded'

When Labour came to power in 1997, it promised a legal limit of 30 children for infant classes (five to seven-year-olds).

Ms Blower said although she could not say that Labour had not kept its promise, this had never been enough.

Christine Blower, NUT: "There is recognition that you get better interaction if you have fewer children in the class"

"There are still schools that are hideously overcrowded, trying to fit 30 children in a class," she said.

And although there were limits on class sizes for the youngest children, when pupils moved up the school, classes got bigger.

Experience shows being in a class of 34 or 35 children "isn't as good as being in a class or 27 or 28," Ms Blower said.

The union said at a primary school in Gloucester where pupil numbers had fallen, two classes were being merged into one for 36 children.

Latest data available - released by the government in May last year - showed the average class size for infants in England was 26.2 pupils - a small increase on the previous year.

Among juniors (eight to eleven-year-olds) class sizes had fallen to an average of 26.8 pupils, down from 27 the previous year.

Schools Minister Vernon Coaker said: "Over the last 10 years Labour has massively increased the number of adults teaching children, meaning smaller class sizes and more individual attention for pupils.

"There are now 41,000 more teachers and over 120,000 more teaching assistants than 1997 - the biggest school workforce ever.

"We are determined to build on that with a guarantee of one-to-one and small group tuition for children falling behind in the 3Rs."

He said the only way to do this and keep all the extra teachers and teaching assistants was to continue real term rises in schools funding over the next three years.