WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

The evidence of class size is obvious; teacher’s worry it will continue to grow and administration wants to increase it. One thing is the same-research is ongoing and inconsistent. Pupil-teacher ratios have fallen dramatically over the past few decades, however it seems to be at a stand still as the debate continues. Although not all parents have a choice in which school their children attend, it is worthwhile to mention that 60% of parents rank class size as a pivotal factor in having a choice for selecting a school. In Ontario, within each school board, the average class size in September 2012 will be 0.5 less than the original average of 2008-09. This would mean that in a school board where the average class size was 25 students in 2008-09, the average class size in 2012-13 is expected to be reduced to 24.5 students. Since September 2005 the government has funded secondary schools for an average class size of 22 students. Is this an indication of the slow, time consuming and costly adjustments being made to school policies regarding class sizes in Canadian schools? Although some provinces are taking initiative to pursue lower class sizes, others believe the money can be better spent else where within education. Whether this will increase the number of teachers AND students in a school, alas not reducing class sizes, is something yet to be established. Will extra money keep administrators away from larger classes, or just give an excuse to permit more bodies in a single class with a justification? How will it be documented that teachers are in fact giving students the extra attention this bonus brings about, or will it mean students are just being destined to bigger classes?