A class struggle

THE reasons for the rising number of children being taught in classes above the legal limit of 30 are complex, not least because it is very difficult for LEAs to plan for fluctuations in population. Nevertheless Tony Blair made class sizes a central plank of his successful election campaign in 1997, and these figures are a depressing reflection of Labour’s record in office.

It also explains, in part, why many Yorkshire primary schools fail to make the grade in national league tables. It can be no coincidence that there are more classes with excess of 30 pupils in this area than any other English region, with the exception of London and the South East.

Large classes are a hindrance to teachers, and pupils clearly suffer as a consequence. Yet, while Education Secretary Michael Gove will point to a plethora of policies to raise standards, the increasingly fragmented nature of schools is unlikely to make a substantive difference to class sizes.

What LEAs require is greater flexibility – rather than having to balance their decisions with the interests of free schools, and the other educational establishments evolving outside local authority control.