Large Class Sizes

Keswick High School

Large Class Sizes Can Be a Large Problem

ENG 3U1
Mrs.Willick
31/03/2014

McIntyre 1

Mrs. Willick
ENG 3U1
31 March 2014
Large Class Sizes Can Be a Large Problem In today’s education system, it is clearer than ever that students are struggling more and more every day. People seem to be saying that large class sizes are a huge factor to students failing. These class sizes have done nothing but prove that they are a negative effect to a student’s learning. These negative effects include: overwhelming the teachers, upsetting and stressing the students, and delaying their graduation. The first problem addressed is how overwhelmed the teachers may become when having to deal with large class sizes. It may become too difficult to try and control all their students. Having a classroom with 30 or more people gives the teacher a very difficult task: to keep his/her students on task and focused. Teachers will also begin to fall behind in their marking and grading. If they teach a class of 30 students and have three to four different classes, that is about 90 to 120 assignments or papers that need to be marked. Large classes can also put teachers under a lot of stress because they struggle to make sure all students are attending class regularly and they struggle to keep students passing. A student’s grade could slip as easily as failing one assignment and it can become difficult for teachers to see the drop and why it happened. Not only does a large class affect the teacher, it also affects the students. The classmates will not get an equal amount of attention or extra help. For those who do get helped, they may McIntyre 2 not be getting the desired amount of help in class. The teacher could give the whole class instructions and not realize that some students need further explanation or individualized instruction. These class sizes can affect all students, especially ones with learning disabilities. Because of the lack of one-on-one relationships with students and the teacher, these types of students are less likely to be noticed and teachers will not realize that these students may need more attention and extra help with their work. Not getting their desired attention/help can cause any student to start struggling in class. In most cases, when students see that they are struggling and they know they cannot get the help they need, they will begin to not care about their grades. Finally, all of this stress and struggle will build up to a point where students are now failing their classes. Students can see no option or have no hope in getting a good grade. When these students fail their classes it can cause them to be held back in high school. They could be held back two semesters or maybe two years depending on how many classes they struggle in. The effects of being held back are drastic. It causes a delay for students to apply to colleges or universities. This results in a longer wait to go back to school and a lot of students will lose their motivation to return and eventually will decide to just not go. Not returning to school can reduce your chances in getting a well-paying career which then affects your income for the rest of your life. In conclusion, these negative effects that have been gained from large class sizes prove that smaller class sizes need to be created. Smaller classes relieve the stress on the teachers, give students more help and attention while letting them graduate on time. Smaller class sizes give them a positive start to their future.