Lib Dems: Over 340,000 secondary school pupils taught in class sizes over 30

Over 340,000 secondary school pupils taught in class sizes over 30

The Liberal Democrats have accused the government of treating schoolchildren like “battery hens,” as shocking figures published today have revealed the number of pupils in classes over 30 continues to soar. 

• 344,000 secondary school pupils are now being taught in class sizes over over 30, up 21% compared to two years ago
   
• Over one in nine secondary school children are now being taught in a class of over 30.
   
• The number of pupils being taught in classes of 36 or more has risen by 18% over the last two years, from 17,700 to 21,000.
   
• The total proportion of secondary school classes with over 31 pupils has risen from 5.9% to 7.4% in the same period. 

The overcrowding is expected to only get worse as a result of cuts to the average secondary school of £291,000 per year by 2020, the equivalent of six teachers per school.
 
Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary Layla Moran said:
 
“This Conservative government is treating our schoolchildren like battery hens.

“Hundreds of thousands of children are being taught by overworked teachers in overcrowded classrooms, but Theresa May doesn’t care.
 
“Conservative cuts will mean class sizes will only grow larger as schools are forced to lay off more teachers in the years ahead.
 
“The government must rethink these heartless cuts to our schools.

"Theresa May found £1bn for the DUP to cling onto power, she can find the cash to protect school budgets and keep class sizes down.”
 
ENDS
 
Notes to Editors
 
Today’s Department for Education figures on class sizes can be found here (National Tables, table 6b)

Total number of pupils by class size (2013 - 2017)
 

The Education Policy Institute has estimated that funding pressures will amount to an average real terms loss of £291,000 per secondary school by 2019-20. This equates to 6 teachers in an average secondary school (link)