The Size of Classes It appears from a circular issued
by the Board of Eduea• tion that the Government, not content with economies today, is actually preparing the way for further econo- mies on education as far ahead as 1935-6. It is true that at that date there will be 350,000 fewer children in the schools than there are now. But surely the Board ought to look forward to the opportunity which will thus be provided to reduce the size of classes, and not to stan- dardize them at the existing maxima of 50 for Junior Schools and 40 for Senior Schools. In another circular dealing with secondary schools the Board remarks : " It would be a mistake to suppose that a low proportion of pupils to teachers is necessarily indicative of a high state of educational efficiency." That is obvious enough, but it seems to obscure the more important truth that a low proportion of pupils to teachers is an absolutely necessary condition of efficiency.
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