Going off the homeschooling thread

OMG - those poor teachers.

Yeah, I am not sure how accurate that is though it is an extremely high number and journalists do like to stretch the truth to make it sound better. But just because I haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

My boys are at a private school.

The max class sizes at their school is 25.

Ds2 had an awesome class last year, only 18 kids and a full time teacher and teacher aide for those kids. Enrolments were low in his year last year so they had small classes, they have this year dissolved one class so he's class is back up to 24 this year sad

Ds1 has 23 in his year 2 class

My oldest kids are at a catholic school on the sunshine coast QLD and
my son has 24 in his class (yr 2) and my daughter has 23 (prep). In the prep year there is also a full time Teaching assistant. As far as I know those numbers are fairly constant throughout the school up to yr 7.

I teach kindy (year before school) and currently have a class of only 12 kids (we are a new class opening so hoping the numbers can grow). I can have up to 22 kids but will also have a TA in the room with me then. I am used to a larger class so for me 12 kids is such a blessing, it is so much easier to get to know all the kids and develop personalised learning plans for each of them.

As for the NZ debate- I would be SOOOOOO unimpressed as a teacher. IMO the way that education is going to improve is smaller class sizes and more personalised attention from a teacher. An effective teacher could receive a class with a lot of high needs kids and therefore more attention will be focussed on these kids to the detriment of others in the class. As MEl-O said - crowd control rather than learning.