Record 400,000 secondary-school kids taught in super-sized classes of over 30 pupils
A RECORD 400,000 secondary school kids are taught in super-sized classes of over 30 pupils, new figures revealed. While average secondary classes in England have also ballooned to their biggest size in over a decade – hitting 22 kids, new figures show. Opposition MPs furiously accused ministers of cramming children into classes “Godzilla-sized classes” to […]
A RECORD 400,000 secondary school kids are taught in super-sized classes of over 30 pupils, new figures revealed.
While average secondary classes in England have also ballooned to their biggest size in over a decade – hitting 22 kids, new figures show.
Opposition MPs furiously accused ministers of cramming children into classes “Godzilla-sized classes” to save cash.
They said the numbers must be a wake-up call for ministers to urgently tackle the teacher shortage crisis.
The Department for Education revealed 13 per cent of secondary school pupils were in the giant classes – the equivalent of 401,765 – in January 2019.
This if the highest since current records began in 2006.
While 558,684 primary school kids were in the giant classes – the highest since 2008.
TORY CUTS CONSEQUENCES
In total, a staggering 45,000 more kids are now in the super-sized classes compared to last year.
Lib Dem MP and leadership contender Ed Davey told The Sun: “It’s outrageous kids are being packed into Godzilla-sized classes.
“It is a badge of shame for this government that class sizes have gone up.”
Labour’s shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said: “Today’s figures expose the consequences of the Tory cuts to our schools, with more and more pupils crammed in to super-sized classes that can only make it harder for them to learn.
“With class sizes soaring, teachers flooding out of the profession and heads reduced to begging parents for donations to buy basic supplies, it is clear that our children are still paying the price for this government’s refusal to invest in education.
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Theresa May is locked in a bitter row with the Treasury over schools funding.
She had demanded an extra £26billion to pump into education as part of her bid to shore up her legacy.
But Chancellor Philip Hammond has been refusing to cough up the cash.
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