Call for class size cuts

Class sizes vary alot more at secondary schools

A head teachers' leader is pressing the government to extend its class size pledge as a vote-winner at the next general election.

David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, is warning that otherwise, Prime Minister Tony Blair could face a "middle class revolt".

But speaking on Breakfast with Frost, Education Secretary, David Blunkett said such an idea in secondary schools would be "daft".

The latest class size figures for English primary schools, are due this week and it is likely they will show the Government already close to its 1997 manifesto pledge.

On target

Tony Blair went to the electorate three years ago promising to reduce class sizes for five, six and seven-year-olds to 30 or below, by the time of the next election.

David Blunkett: confident on figures for 5 to 7 year olds

On Sunday, Education secretary David Blunkett said he believed figures would show that by autumn there would be as few as 50,000 being taught in classes with over 30 pupils, down from the 500,000 inherited from the Conservatives.

But class sizes for older primary children,are not coming down in the same way.

Figures from January 1999, showed the average class size for 7-11 year olds had continued to rise, from 28.3 to 28.4.

Mr Blunkett said while money pledged to education in the budget could buy an extra 3,500 teachers in secondary schools alone he would not be forcing schools to spend money that way.

And on the issue of a class size he said: "It would be daft to do it for secondary schools they organise their day totally differently to primary schools.

"There are small groups for some things with larger groups for PE and music." He added that class size in secondary schools was not the same issue as in primary.

But Mr Hart thinks it is still an important issue for older children.

"The middle classes will revolt if they see big classes at the top end of primary school and at the bottom end of secondary.

"By tackling class sizes for younger primary children, the government has only bought itself a period of peace."