New numbers from the Calgary Board of Education show high school class sizes have jumped by at least 10 per cent over the past year.
The data shows high school classes now have an average of almost 30 students. That’s up from 26.8 students last year and 24.2 students from in 2009.
Western Canada High School had the largest class size with just over 33 students with Robert Thirsk High School coming in a close second with just over 32 students.
Some students told Global News it’s affecting their classroom learning.
“It’s difficult and it’s hard to have personal learning time with the teachers, so it’s a little bit harder to learn,” said one student outside Western Canada High.
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Another said the class size affects some more than others.
“It depends on the kind of student you are. I kind of get distracted so I stick to the front most of the time.”
The president of the Calgary local of the Alberta Teachers Association says the larger class sizes aren’t in the best interests of students.
“In my experience, the largest class that I personally ever taught was a class of 46,” says Frank Bruseker. “Very often what that simply becomes is you stand and deliver your lesson and you say to the kids ‘get on with your work for the day and if you have questions you come and see me.’”
The CBE says more than 3,000 new students enrolled in Calgary schools this school year and that may be one of the reasons behind the bigger class sizes.
It adds the numbers posted on its website are for the first semester of this school year which began last September. It says the numbers for the second semester, which began this week, could drop.
The CBE has posted the average class size for all Calgary high schools on its website. CLICK HERE for the list.
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