Numbers of large classes declining

In Victorian schools, the proportion of classes with more than 30 students has been steadily declining over the past three years.

Of the more than 11,700 individual primary school classes operated across the State in 1998, only 6.9% of these classes had more than 30 students: down from 8.2% in 1996.

The average primary school class size in Victoria last year was 25.9 students. For the previous three years, the average remained steady at 26 students.

A directive was issued last year that classes in Prep to Year Three were to be capped at 28 students, unless schools had special reasons cleared through their school council.

Schools are adhering to this with the average Prep class size last year being 23.7 students and the average over the years Prep-Two being 24.9.

Where schools have a large class, there are usually sound educational reasons that have been discussed with parents.

Schools may offer an extra specialist teacher to come in three mornings a week or they may have an author/artist in residence who takes small groups for literacy lessons.

Last year 368 schools had a class of more than 30 students. However, 325 schools had no class of more than 25 students.

This year, 2600 teaching positions will be available in Victorian schools ¾ about 1000 of them created as part of the State Government's $102 million-a-year Early Years literacy program.

At least half of these will be new graduates recruited as part of the Government's "Teach-Change the World" program.

(News Release, Office of the Minister for Education, January 27,1999)