The Big Debate on Class Sizes

In NYC public schools, there have been some debates about the amount of students that are in each classroom and how the number of students affects the learning process. There are pros and cons about the size of the classes. For example, some say that smaller classes helps and allow students to understand what's going on in the class and helps teacher to teach in different ways since there are less students. Smaller classes give the advantage to the students and teachers. But some of the cons are that there wouldn't be a lot of diversity and this will limit students' experience and there will be less resources.

The benefits of having bigger classes is that it can be a supportive and beneficial for students learning experience. Students can also learn from one another. The cons of this is it's difficult for teachers to work with a lot of students and students wouldn't be able receive the attention or more one on one help. Bigger classes can also lead to chaos because of the multiple behaviors in the room. The ratio is normally 34:1, which can be chaotic. 

According to the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) "Keeping class sizes within proper limits is not just a professional right to enable you to do your (teachers) job better; it’s also an educational benefit for students who can receive more individual attention. Contractual class-size limits vary with the school level, type of class and other factors, but they are usually 34 in high schools." The UFT does make sure the classes are not oversized.

Class sizes will also be changing in the near future. "By September 2028, the city would have to cap classes at 20 students in kindergarten through third grade, 23 students for grades 4-8, and 25 students for high school classes."

Class sizes have been an issue for a quite a while. Some people believe that smaller classes is for the best while others don't. As a debate continues, the UFT is actively working to reduce the number of students in the classroom.