Geelong’s class acts
THE schools with the Geelong region’s best-resourced classrooms have been revealed.
An analysis of national data from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority has revealed the schools where teachers have the most and least students to teach.
According to the data, last year St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School in Norlane had only 8.5 students per teacher.
Principal Rod Sims said the low ratio helped the school in a number of ways.
“Firstly, we are able to provide extensive individual and small-group support to children who have significant learning needs,” Mr Sims said.
“We are also able to extend and enrich the learning opportunities of a large number of our children.
“Our low ratio helps our children develop positive and caring relationships with their teachers and helps our children be more connected to the school.”
He said the ratio helped the school build the capacity, knowledge and skills of all teachers, regardless of their level of experience.
“This helps us create a better learning environment for our children and more skilled, knowledgeable teachers,” Mr Sims said.
Meanwhile, Geelong Grammar School had 8.4 students per teacher and Christian College Bellarine 8.8, according to the data.
Not surprisingly, specialist schools also dominated in the schools with the lowest ratios.
There was one teacher for every 4.3 students at Hamlyn Views School, while at Barwon Valley School there were 5.4 students per teacher.
The figures show at MacKillop Specialist School there were 5.8 students per teacher.
According to ACARA, the national student-teacher ratio was 13.5 students for every teacher. Across the country, independent private schools had the lowest student to teacher ratios with 11.7 students to every teacher.
Government schools had an average of 13.8 students for every teacher while Catholic schools had an average of 14 students for every teacher. Student-teacher ratios do not take into account aides or nonteaching staff, only the fulltime equivalent teachers.
The figures show in 2018 St Robert’s School was among Geelong schools with most students per teacher at 19.8 students per teacher.
Montpellier Primary School and Belmont Primary School were also among the schools with more students per teacher, with an average of 18.3 students for every teacher at both schools.