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Every fall elementary schools juggle classes, adding extra teachers as needed to meet provincial limits on class sizes.
But some parents of kindergarten students at St. George Catholic School near Tunney’s Pasture feel they’ve been given a losing hand in the annual fall shuffle, exposing a “loophole” that allows for larger classes than the rules permit.
The province says kindergarten classes should have a maximum of 30 students. The cap will fall to 29 next year.
At St. George, there are three kindergarten classes, with 30, 30 and 31 students. Parents say the classes contain too many kids for one teacher and one early-childhood educator to handle. They want a fourth class, and plan to make their case to trustees at the Ottawa Catholic School Board meeting Tuesday.
The class of 31 is allowed because the 31st student registered in September but didn’t set foot in the school until October. So that student was not counted when determining class size limits.
The provincial education ministry won’t provide funding for an extra teacher, said trustee Jeremy Wittet.
He suggests parents talk to their MPP, because it’s a provincewide issue. “I have a problem understanding why you have to follow (the class size limit) on Sept. 30 but not on Oct. 1.
“I just say to the province, if you’re going to put a cap in place you should provide support to schools that have fluctuations in enrolment throughout the year.”
After the Sept. 30 reporting date, there is always the possibility of students leaving or new students registering, but the Ottawa Catholic School Board does not generally reorganize classes “so as to minimize disruptions to students and staff,” said board spokesperson Kelly McKibbin.
The board-wide average is 24.8 students for kindergarten classes, said McKibbin.
That’s no consolation for Patricia Kirkwood, whose five-year-old daughter Hannah is in a class of 30 at St. George. She says class-size limits should not be exceeded. “You put your trust in the system. There is a reason why caps are set.”
“It’s a loophole,” she said. However, she suspects that getting another teacher is an “uphill battle.”
“They don’t want to have to pay a fourth teacher. Everything always comes down to money.”
The classes at St. George are a blend of junior and senior kindergarten. When the kids arrive in September, they range in age from three to five. Some of the smaller kids need help dressing themselves, while older ones are more independent. “You can imagine what the teachers are dealing with,” says Kirkwood. “It’s a lot for anyone to handle.”
Parent Greg Wood said Wittet and the school principal have been sympathetic but have given no indication the situation will change.
Wood’s son James found his class overwhelming. “I was deeply concerned about my son’s initial exposure to school. He’s three years old. I want him to love school.
“I just knew with that many kids it would be so loud, so chaotic, it would be hard for him to feel comfortable.”
James’s teacher and early childhood educator are terrific, he said, but the first month in school was traumatic. The lad is settling in now.
The school board doesn’t seem to have either the agility or the will to make changes in response to parent concerns, he said.
Kindergarten class sizes have been a concern in Ontario for several years as the province has introduced full-day classes.
jmiller@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JacquieAMiller
查看原文...
But some parents of kindergarten students at St. George Catholic School near Tunney’s Pasture feel they’ve been given a losing hand in the annual fall shuffle, exposing a “loophole” that allows for larger classes than the rules permit.
The province says kindergarten classes should have a maximum of 30 students. The cap will fall to 29 next year.
At St. George, there are three kindergarten classes, with 30, 30 and 31 students. Parents say the classes contain too many kids for one teacher and one early-childhood educator to handle. They want a fourth class, and plan to make their case to trustees at the Ottawa Catholic School Board meeting Tuesday.
The class of 31 is allowed because the 31st student registered in September but didn’t set foot in the school until October. So that student was not counted when determining class size limits.
The provincial education ministry won’t provide funding for an extra teacher, said trustee Jeremy Wittet.
He suggests parents talk to their MPP, because it’s a provincewide issue. “I have a problem understanding why you have to follow (the class size limit) on Sept. 30 but not on Oct. 1.
“I just say to the province, if you’re going to put a cap in place you should provide support to schools that have fluctuations in enrolment throughout the year.”
After the Sept. 30 reporting date, there is always the possibility of students leaving or new students registering, but the Ottawa Catholic School Board does not generally reorganize classes “so as to minimize disruptions to students and staff,” said board spokesperson Kelly McKibbin.
The board-wide average is 24.8 students for kindergarten classes, said McKibbin.
That’s no consolation for Patricia Kirkwood, whose five-year-old daughter Hannah is in a class of 30 at St. George. She says class-size limits should not be exceeded. “You put your trust in the system. There is a reason why caps are set.”
“It’s a loophole,” she said. However, she suspects that getting another teacher is an “uphill battle.”
“They don’t want to have to pay a fourth teacher. Everything always comes down to money.”
The classes at St. George are a blend of junior and senior kindergarten. When the kids arrive in September, they range in age from three to five. Some of the smaller kids need help dressing themselves, while older ones are more independent. “You can imagine what the teachers are dealing with,” says Kirkwood. “It’s a lot for anyone to handle.”
Parent Greg Wood said Wittet and the school principal have been sympathetic but have given no indication the situation will change.
Wood’s son James found his class overwhelming. “I was deeply concerned about my son’s initial exposure to school. He’s three years old. I want him to love school.
“I just knew with that many kids it would be so loud, so chaotic, it would be hard for him to feel comfortable.”
James’s teacher and early childhood educator are terrific, he said, but the first month in school was traumatic. The lad is settling in now.
The school board doesn’t seem to have either the agility or the will to make changes in response to parent concerns, he said.
Kindergarten class sizes have been a concern in Ontario for several years as the province has introduced full-day classes.
jmiller@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JacquieAMiller
查看原文...
