Class Size Is Not the Most Important Thing

Class Size Is Not the Most Important Thing
Ontario Minister of Education Stephen Lecce speaks at a press conference in Toronto on Aug. 22, 2019. The Canadian Press/Christopher Katsarov
Michael Zwaagstra
Updated:

If you asked a group of teachers whether they would rather teach a class with 20 students or one with 30 students, most would pick the smaller class. All things being equal, it is easier to teach smaller classes than larger ones.

All things are never equal, however. There are many factors other than class size that impact student learning. And yet class size always seems to get a disproportionate amount of attention, using up more oxygen.

Michael Zwaagstra
Michael Zwaagstra
Author
Michael Zwaagstra is a public high school teacher and a senior fellow with the Fraser Institute. He is the author of “A Sage on the Stage: Common Sense Reflections on Teaching and Learning.”
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