CALGARY – Children grabbed their notebooks and headed back to school on Tuesday, but some faced classrooms packed with more students than ever before.
On average, teacher-student ratios are increasing from roughly 27 students per teacher to 30 students per teacher.
However, in some cases, it’s reported that class sizes have swelled to as high as 40 students per class.
The Alberta Teacher’s Association says High Schools in the province are being hit especially hard.
Some are concerned about the impact larger class sizes may have on students, and worry it could be detrimental to their education.
The move to larger class sizes is also sparking an increase in alternate forms of education like homeschooling.
“We expect over the next few days to actually see a greater influx of students, as parents and students are in their classrooms,” says Diana Stinn of Phoenix Foundation Homeschool. “They’re going to see that it’s not exactly the place that they thought it was going to be. There’s going to be those impacts – more students, more noise, less resources, less funding, less teachers.”
Education Minister Jeff Johnson says the province has done its best to lessen the impact inside the classroom, increasing their so-called ‘small classroom initiative’ and decreasing maintenance staff and administration.
– With files from Jill Croteau
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