Govt study to find ways to lower student numbers in classroom

The Ministry of Education is preparing a comprehensive report, based on the statistics of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), to classify schools according to student density, or the number of students to a classroom. The study will also analyze students by gender, educational stage, type of school building and education’s office in each department of education. Some schools have more than 50 students in one classroom. The study is to find out why the student density is so high and what can be done to reduce the number per class. An official source told a local newspaper that the relevant authorities of the ministry, education departments and other bodies outside the ministry would be involved in the study. They would also propose solutions to resolve the issue. The study would classify schools in the following categories: from 31 to 35 students, 36 to 40 students, 41 to 45 students, 46 to 50 students and 51 or more students per classroom. The ministry would focus on the latter two categories and quickly find appropriate solutions. The number of students in a classroom has a direct bearing on students’ performance and the achievement of schools. It also has a negative impact on the educational environment in the school. More than five million students are returning to school to start the second semester after midterm school vacation. The Director-General of Education in Riyadh, Ibrahim Al-Missned, said the administration of all departments, offices and schools had completed preparations for the start of the second semester. From Arabnews