Editorial: Does Class Size Matter?

Have you ever been in a class that seemed humongous, or in a class that was minuscule? Well whether or not you have, class size can play a major role in a student’s learning environment.

By class size I mean the amount of students in a single classroom, not  the size of the classroom itself. Many people have different perspectives on this topic. Some believe is doesn’t matter and others strongly believe that class size can make or break a child’s education.

In smaller classes students are able to receive one-on-one teaching. They are also able to become closer friends and work better with one another. Many teachers appreciate smaller class sizes because they are easier to handle and manage.

But then again, it really depends on what type of students are in that class. A bigger class full of honors students are more likely to behave better that a class of non-honors students. I’m not saying that there aren’t bad honors students or good non-honors students, because believe me I know there are.

While students in smaller classes get more one-on-one time, students in larger classes are able to hear from plenty of other students that come from different backgrounds, and students in smaller classrooms may not get that opportunity. Larger classes may be inevitable in some cases. If there are too many students and not enough classrooms, then students have to be put into larger classes.

Larger classes may put students in danger. If a class barely fits the fire code capacity, then if a fire occurred, not all students may be able to get out. I’m not saying that if you’re in a large class that you will die, because odds are you won’t. Having a large class can put teachers in danger too. A teacher at my old school broke her ankle from tripping on a student’s backpack. Her class had nearly 40 students that year! With a large class you never know what can happen.

Well reader, what do you think? Do class sizes matter, or it is just another one of those made up debates? Leave your opinion below! Thank you!

By: Jenna Westenskow

Photo credits: Theodysseyonline.com