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One in twenty Welsh children taught over-crowded classrooms -Williams
November 26, 2008 12:00 PM
New Assembly Government statistics released today show that one in twenty 8 - 11 year olds are being taught in over-crowded classrooms in Wales.
The Welsh Liberal Democrats, when in partnership with Labour from 2000- 2003, pushed for class sizes across the primary sector to be reduced to 30 pupils per class as the benefits of small class sizes are manifold.
Commenting on the rise in number of pupils in classrooms in Welsh infant and junior classes, Kirsty Williams, Welsh Liberal Democrat education spokesperson said:
"We cannot have our pupils being taught in overcrowded classrooms. It's unfair on the students who require more attention and it's also unfair on the brighter students who could do with further encouragement.
"Young people benefit from being taught in smaller groups as they receive more teacher contact time and attention. The relationship with his or her teacher is one of the most important and closest that a child has. Cutting class sizes allows this relationship to flourish, improving the quality of education.
"This Labour-Plaid Government is seriously letting down children in the Welsh education system, from their massive failings in the foundation phase, overcrowding in infant and junior classrooms, poor state of secondary school buildings to the failure to properly fund the further and higher education sector.
"How are we supposed to become a vibrant, educated economy with this sort of half hearted commitment to our children and young people's education?
"I want to see the Labour-Plaid Government setting even more ambitious target of 25 pupils per class or fewer in primary classrooms so that our children get the right start to their life they deserve."
Notes:
Infant classes stats:
Sept 2008: 68 classes with more than 30 pupils, compared to 51 classes in September 2007.
Sept 2008: 2.3 per cent of pupils (2,164) in classes of over 30, compared to 1.7 per cent in 2007.
Junior classes stats:
Sept 2008: 194 classes with more than 30 pupils, compared to 162 classes in September 2007.
Sept 2008: 4.7 per cent (6,140) of pupils in classes of over 30, compared to 3.8 per cent of pupils in September 2007.
Link to stats:
http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/statistics/headlines/schools2008/hdw20081126/?lang=en
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