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Volume 2 Issue 7 Paper 1
Current and Emerging Issues in Education Policy
Muteb Alharbi
De Montfort University, United Kingdom
Abstract
The issue of class size in infant classes has become a critical consideration in the efforts to improve the achievement of students. Emerging evidence demonstrates that a large class size registers adverse outcomes on student achievement. Other implications of a large class size include challenges in classroom management, a factor that may lead to uncontrolled behaviours among learners. With the increasing number of students gaining entry into the school system, local authorities have faced the compulsion to increase class sizes beyond the legal limit of 30 pupils. Such a move has been associated with the compromised interactions between learners and teachers. Many scholars agree that class size is an important determinant of the quality of education. Specifically, the number of students that a teacher must handle determines the level of learning that is likely to occur. Therefore, emerging policies on class size should seek to remedy the current situation. Increased funding to schools will ensure that each school can afford more teachers who will handle the increasing number of students. Ongoing reforms affecting the ratio of teachers to pupils are also likely to register a positive impact on the quality of education. The most important aspect is to ensure that class sizes promote the achievement of children in infant classes. Having large classes may compromise the levels of literacy as well as the skills observed in different subjects. Based on the available evidence, it is imperative to establish remarkable policies that will govern class sizes without compromising student achievement. Similarly, the hiring of teaching assistants may serve as a potential solution in helping teachers to meet the needs of all the learners. Other arguments that reveal no impact of class size on student achievement have been surpassed by recent evidence regarding this issue.

Keywords: Education Policy, Current, Emergent, Trends, Issues

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