The Pigeonhole

"big sports fields and small class sizes"

This month a new private school opened in Whangarei.  Quite a few kids are already enrolled, which begs the question: other than old-style uniforms and dodgy international exams, what does a private school have that a state school does not?  The student quoted in the local paper knows: "big sports fields and small class sizes. That's an improvement coming from a class of 33. It means teachers can focus on smaller groups."

Well then.  Smaller class size.  A 12-year-old knows that it makes a positive difference to her learning.  What makes it so hard for the government and other class-size deniers to understand her simple point?  Fewer kids, more teacher time, more space to learn, more flexibility, less stretch on shared resources… win, win, win…

Oh, and hats off to Mesdames Roy and Tolley, for the funding boost to private schools that gives them what the state schools are not funded to have:  Small classes.  And, by the way, private schools have raised their fees (again) this year, on average by 3.5%.    More public money plus higher fees, what’s not to like? 

So, spare a thought for the public schools with classes of 33.  There’s no government money left for them – it’s already gone to the rich.