Scottish class size reduction

p4girl

As a primary school teacher, I'd love a small class. I work in a double stream school, all eight p4 - p7 classes have over 30 children, indeed most are at 33.

But I want to make people aware of how the class size reduction programme in Scotland is impacting on their children's education.

Both p1 intakes next session are capped at 25. Sounds fab. But NOBODY in authority has changed the teacher/pupil ratio, so each teacher is "allocated" 33 children from our school roll.

In other words, 2 teachers = 66 children, but our two primary 1 teachers can actually only take 50, so that's a loss of 16 children. That's half a teacher.

Our head teacher was told this week, by email..., that this will also apply to both primary 2 classes next session. 2 more primary 2 teachers, which counts as 66 children, who can only teach 50. Another half a teacher.

We've lost one full time teacher for next session because the teacher pupil ratio hasn't been adjusted. This will happen every year until our bigger classes work through p7 and move on. Every year, another teacher lost.

Smaller classes are good news, but what this situation means in reality is that, if YOUR child needs extra support, (or learning support, as some call it) whether it be in reading, number, English as a second language, or as in some cases in many schools, opportunities in extension activities for high achievers... there won't be any support staff to do it.

I teach levels A to D in my class, I do the best I can, but some children do much better, much faster, with one to one input on a regular basis. Which you'll know if that child is yours.

This is not intended to be a whinge - I'm concerned about all the children who have benefited this year from extra support - help which they will NOT get next session in my school. And this is not an isolated case.

After next session, it will mean composite classes in my school. It means fewer teachers, not more. Why is nobody shouting from the rooftops about this??!!!!!

The teacher pupil ratio needs to be changed.

stevesless

Agree completely, the new governments shallow polices are becoming to fruit in non reality. I am very concerend as my daughter starts P1 next year.

mymatebob

stevesless wrote: »

Agree completely, the new governments shallow polices are becoming to fruit in non reality. I am very concerend as my daughter starts P1 next year.

I think the honeymoon period for the SNP is fast running out.

They have a lot of excellent policies, however I am yet to be convinced that these have been costed properly and will work in the real world where they now find themselves

p4girl

Nice to know that some people out there understand the situation.

This week, I've read that there's to be a ballot on strike action (had to ask my EIS rep why... and she hadn't heard a thing!) and that government say funding has acually been increased...

I might as well add that my particular school - and the rest in the local authority - has been TOLD their budget has been massively cut for next session. In fact, my head teacher has had to make cuts over next year to the tune of £37000!!!!

That's almost £1000 every school week - so I think it means more than pencils and jotters. It means staffing.

Every child is special. And, thanks to the social inclusion policy, every child has the right to an education in a mainstream school, whether that means a teacher to give extra help with English as a second language, a specialist teacher who signs in class for deaf children, an assistant to encourage those who suffer from autism, cerebral palsy or dyslexia, an assistant to give classroom or homework support to those who have no support at home, teachers to run supported study classes after school, not to mention music instructors, P.E. specialists... the list is endless.

My primary school has had all of these. Only the P.E. teacher remains. And as she costs the same as a class teacher for two days a week, she's worried!

Katyag

p4girl wrote: »

I might as well add that my particular school - and the rest in the local authority - has been TOLD their budget has been massively cut for next session. In fact, my head teacher has had to make cuts over next year to the tune of £37000!!!!

That's almost £1000 every school week - so I think it means more than pencils and jotters. It means staffing.

Sounds like Aberdeen!!! The council are ruining schools up here.

amandada

Dundee seems to be having this issue too-LOADS of composite classes in primary schools

Katyag

Composite classes are actually a good thing. My son is in P1 and has been capable of doing some of the work the P2's are doing just from watching and listening. Also there is a lower limit on the amount of kids in a composite class so they get more one to one.

mikki2d

The High School I work in has to lose almost £250,000 from the budget this year and this translates as experienced, qualified teachers. Probationers are being used to run the timetable and I believe that this is illegal under the mcCrone agreement.

I would urge every person reading this to write to their child's headteacher (tell your friends to do it too) and demand to know the impact of the cuts on their child. Ask how many trainee teachers are teaching your child. This is no reflection on their ability as many of them are excellent teachers but they are being exploited. In my area, the Network Support teachers who come in as additional support for pupils who need it (dyslexic, hearing impaired etc) are being disbanded and put back into class with teachers being expected to support these children within class time. Many are not adequately trained to do this but almost all do not have the time and while they are teaching these children they are neglecting the rest. A No Win situation for everyone.

The SNP won an election with pie in the sky promises that were never financially viable. Their political naivety is showing now and god help us all if we end up in an independent Scotland.

scurr

Composite classes can be a good thing but aren't always. Depends on how the groups of children are chosen to be put into them.
South Ayrshire also suffering from HUGE budget cuts and compositing so must be nationwide.

Engadine

scurr wrote: »

Composite classes can be a good thing but aren't always. Depends on how the groups of children are chosen to be put into them.
South Ayrshire also suffering from HUGE budget cuts and compositing so must be nationwide.

Some schools in South Ayrshire have composite classes but not all, South Ayrshire council have huge budget problems mainly due to their over spending. They are cutting budgets but can still manage to allocate £178,000 for "floral enhancement", street sweeping and summer opening of public toilets in 2 locations. Think they could cut the "floral enhancement" budget to zero and spend it in schools

poodlehorse

I didn't realise the cuts in class sizes were having this kind of knock on effect. What I do know is that in my area the Education and Leisure and Recreation depts were combined at reorganisation and as such the Director holds 49% of the overall council budget and 1 guy who worked in the senior management team of the Finance Dept said that they will never get a bigger percentage than that as the councillors won't allow one Director to hold half the budget, on principle. That has huge implications but the first thing I would be saying is then break up the bigger dept back into its constituent parts then if that is the only way we can improve the funds going into education. Our authority hasn't stopped footering with the internal management structure of the Education dept since 1996 and they seem to be going round in circles now. There have been jobs created that nobody ever had a clear idea of what the role was including often the people in them and then they get disbanded for the next bright idea that doesn't quite gel either. They do away with jobs and then a year later they reinvent a job with another title that is basically that job again. No wonder the schools are in crisis financially - the budget is being spent on internal restructuring.