§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many more teachers would have to be employed and trained to reduce all class sizes to below 30; and at what additional recurrent cost.
§ Dr. BoysonIn January 1981 average class sizes in England were 25.5 pupils for primary schools and 21.5 for secondary schools; at the same time 30 per cent. of primary classes and 14 per cent. of secondary classes contained 30 or more pupils. There can be no certain estimate of the number of extra teachers needed to eliminate these classes of 30 and over because it would depend on the extent to which local education authorities and headteachers gave priority to a reduction in class sizes over other calls on the time of teachers.