Commenting on the latest school census data which shows 993,412
pupils in class sizes of 31 and above, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint
General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“Today’s data show the proportion of pupils in class sizes of 31+
now stands at 13.4% across primary and secondary. This accounts
for almost 1 million children, a shocking figure. Secondary class
sizes are now at their highest since 2001, and we have the
highest proportion of secondary pupils taught in classes of 31+
for 40 years. The number of children in classes of 31+ has risen
by a quarter of a million in the last decade.
“The Prime Minister knew this when he stated last week, and again
in the Commons on Tuesday, that schools must open fully to all
pupils every day from September. It is these extremely high
class-size figures that explain why the Government was not able
to move ahead with all primary children being back this summer.
“The Government may argue that bubbles of 30 pupils should be
created, but even this ignores the fact that around 1 million
children are in classes that exceed this figure. It is also the
case that before Coronavirus, schools were experiencing teacher
shortages. No amount of wishful thinking from the Prime Minister
should ignore these facts.
“If we are to open schools fully, as everyone wants to, then the
Government must take the challenge seriously.
“In the short term, the Prime Minister would do well to take on
board our 10-point National Education Recovery Plan which
proposes incentivising former teachers to return and play their
part in ensuring the education system emerges strongly from the
pandemic.
“In the long term, it is imperative that the appreciation of key
workers is not just the fading memory of community claps every
Thursday, but a recognition that the jobs they do are tough and
have value. Key workers have unquestionably played their part in
this crisis and deserve more than warm words from ministers.
“The Prime Minister’s handling of schools during this crisis has
been characterised by refusals to engage with the profession
before making reckless promises to the public. If he wants to
avoid any more embarrassing U-turns, he needs to speak
constructively with those on the ground.”
