The size of a class can have extremely beneficial effects on a child’s learning. Research often shows that smaller class sizes have positive short and long term effects on learning. However, there is still much debate about the cutting of class size that is more so based on the economics than the merits of the idea. Kids in smaller class sizes as compared to kids in larger classes have been found to obtain higher test scores, participate more in school, demonstrate improved behavior, and carry on more of these benefits to their later years of schooling.

All of these beneficial effects makes a lot of sense. Being in a smaller class, there is more focus and attention that the teacher can provide to all of the children with less kids to overall teach and attend to. Thus, the kids are more engaged, feel more obligated to participate, and actually have a stronger desire to learn. Smaller class sizes also makes many activities that promote more engaged learning easier. For example, in class discussions or presentations, everyone has the chance to be more actively involved and can not as easily just sit quietly in the corner of a filled up classroom. More personalized attention also means that teachers can observe more about the learning styles of individual students and can tailor their teaching styles more specifically to them once they notice, before a student starts to fall too far behind.

I can attest to this sentiment personally. Growing up in a small school with a graduating class size of about 200 kids, I had multiple opportunities to experience small class sizes. I remember a distinct difference in the overall environment of my classes with about 15 students compared to those with about 30. The smaller classes always felt more fun and engaging because it was easier for everyone to connect and interact with less pressure. I obviously still learned very well in larger class sizes, but they felt longer and more boring to sit through with one teacher lecturing to a filled classroom of 30 kids staring back. Even now in college, for a subject like English, the small class size that we have is definitely more effective for our different activities and projects than a larger class size in a filled lecture hall, where personalized feedback is way more difficult.

The debate around this idea is based on the fact that having smaller classes simply requires more teachers that the school must hire. This can be very expensive to implement and can also result in the hiring of more low quality teachers. Many critics suggest that the probable costs of small class sizes do not justify the demonstrated beliefs. However, the concept must not be overlooked because of the apparent long term benefits it gives children in their education, and after all, the future of the world is in their hands.