Britain has largest primary school classes of rich nations

BRITAIN has the biggest primary school classes in the developed world, an international study has revealed.

State primary schools in the UK now have an average of 28 pupils, according to the latest Education at a Glance report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

This is the first year that Britain has been ranked as having the highest number of pupils per class – joint with Chile – out of all the OECD countries.

The report, which looks at the state of education systems across 36 nations with developed economies, plus 10 partner countries, found that the average class size for state primary schools in OECD countries is 21 children.

Andreas Schleicher, director for education and skills at the OECD, said: “When you compare between 2005 and 2017, the UK is one of the few countries which has seen an increase. If you look at overall spending, there have been clear cuts. When you cut, you have to make choices.”

A report published by the public accounts committee last year warned of a “growing sense of crisis” in teacher recruitment against a backdrop of rising pupil numbers. Mainstream schools should take more special needs children as the cost of educating them elsewhere is soaring, the Government’s spending watchdog has found. Mainstream schools are put off admitting pupils with special educational needs and disability since they have to spend £6,000 from their own budgets on each child before accessing extra government funding, the National Audit Office said.