TONY Blair's cry: "Education, education, education" and the manner of its implementation says it all where this Government is concerned.
At the time of the last election they ranted on each day about class sizes. Not only has so-called New Labour spent less than the Tories on education as a percentage of gross national product, but class sizes at the secondary stage have actually gone up. They now stand at the highest level for 25 years.
Class sizes are not a crucial educational issue where discipline can be enforced. At my Leeds primary schools I received wonderful teaching in classes of around 50, my register number was usually 48.
However, they are important where there are disruptive pupils, I won't devalue the word by referring to them as 'students'. Therefore it is at the secondary stage where the problem of class sizes needs the most urgent attention.
Dr Donald Webster,
Askham Bryan Hall,
Askham Bryan, York.
Updated: 10:34 Thursday, April 12, 2001
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