New Online Tool Helps Parents Track Shrinking Class Sizes
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Ontario students in the early grades are heading back to schools with more than 2,000 new teachers this year and 5,200 since October 2003, said St. Paul Catholic Elementary School’s guest teacher Education Minister Sandra Pupatello.
“These 5,200 new teachers are reducing class sizes in kindergarten through Grade 3, which is a big part of our strategy to boost achievement in reading, writing and math,” said Pupatello. “We know that kids in smaller classes in the early years get more individual attention and are more likely to reach their full potential.”
The government is providing funding for 131 more elementary teachers in the Peterborough area. This is part of the government’s funding to add 5,200 elementary teachers provincewide:
- 3,600 teachers to create smaller primary classes so our youngest students get more individual attention, including 1,200 this year
- 1,600 elementary specialist teachers in areas such as music, phys-ed and the arts, including 980 this year.
The government is implementing a “real cap” of 20 or fewer students in 90 per cent of kindergarten to Grade 3 classes by the 2007-08 school year. The remaining 10 per cent of classes can have a maximum of 23 students to accommodate enrolment changes and reduce the need for combined grades.
Joining guest teacher Pupatello’s class as the 19th class member was MPP Jeff Leal.
“The McGuinty government is committed to reaching every student in Ontario with its strategy for improved student achievement,” said Leal. “That’s why this government has stepped up to the plate to reduce class sizes, with the result that almost half of our youngest students are in classes of twenty or less.”
As well, parents can check on class sizes for kindergarten to Grade 3 classrooms by going to www.ontario.ca/classsizes. The online class-size tracker shows data for the 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 school years. It
reflects actual enrolments as of October 31 of each year. The tracker will be updated annually as school boards report new data to the Ministry of Education.
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