CRAMPED CLASSROOMS
UK teachers have some of the largest class sizes in Europe
THE UK has one of the highest ratios of pupils to teachers the EU.
New analysis of figures from Eurostat reveal that secondary schools in our country have just one teacher for every 17 GCSE aged pupils. Along with Finland, that is the joint second worst rate in Europe - below only the Netherlands, which has one teacher for every 18 students. The figures were calculated by dividing the number of pupils aged 14-16 by the number of teachers. The average for the EU is 12 pupils for every teacher, and the high ratio in the UK is a cause for concern among education professionals.
Addressing the figures, Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Booming pupil numbers combined with realterms funding cuts and a crisis in teacher supply have led to increased class sizes. “There is an ongoing problem with recruitment, with just two secondary-school subjects receiving enough trainees to hit the annual target for 2017/18. “Too many good teachers leave within five years of qualifying, most often citing workload and poor pay, and schools are struggling to replace them. “Larger classes lead to less one-on-one time for pupils and a heavier workload for teachers.”
Lithuania, Serbia and Malta have the smallest class sizes out of the 31 countries in Europe where data is available, with just eight GCSE aged pupils for every teacher.
Meanwhile, across pupils of all ages the average class size in the EU is 14 for every teacher. The UK ratio is again higher than this average, with just one teacher for every 17 pupils.
For lower secondary school pupils aged between 10-13, the UK has 15 students for every teacher. Again, the figure is above the EU average of 12.