While teaching overseas for the past three years, I have followed the continuing class size debate with interest. I specialise in early-years education, and have taught a class of more than 30 children in London. The maximum number of children in a class at my present school is 15. In both cases, the majority of pupils are learning English as a second language.
No prizes for guessing which children made the most progress, particularly in terms of language development. I am certain this is down to the extra individual attention I have been able to give them. I realise that I seem to be stating the obvious, but the message does not seem to be getting through to the powers that be. Let me simplify it. Children achieve more in smaller classes.
I campaigned for smaller class sizes before I left the United Kingdom, and as little seems to have happened to improve matters (in fact, things appear to be considerably worse), I will continue to campaign on my forthcoming return.
HEATHER WOOD PO Box 12080 88822 Kota Kinabalu Sabah Borneo Malaysia.