A LARGE student-to-teacher ratio is never good news for both educators and students.
A classroom that is bloated, according to educationists, can affect the quality of learning and teaching as this can hinder many academic activities that enhance the 21st century schooling experience in the long run.
With the academic calendar for the 2023/2024 session starting in March, parents are advised to consider teacher-student ratios before appealing to move their children to what they deem are “high-performing”, or popular schools, as overcrowded classes can prove detrimental to the child’s overall academic experience.
Students may have less of a chance to speak up or ask questions since there are too many of them in the classroom, Assoc Prof Dr Husaina Banu Kenayathulla told StarEdu, while the increased work pressure could lead to teachers being unable to perform their jobs well or opting for early retirement.
Husaina, who is from the Universiti Malaya Faculty of Education, is the varsity’s deputy dean (Research, Value Creation and Enterprise).
Former education minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin had previously said that some parents prefer to send their children to “better” schools located further away, despite having schools near their homes.
This had inadvertently created a situation where some schools were short of students while others had a packed student population, he said in September last year.
Teachers, experts asserted, might encounter difficulties in providing individualised attention to weaker students in a densely populated school.
“Teachers would not be able to give personal attention or embark on compensatory lessons to those who need it,” said INTI International University Faculty of Education and Liberal Arts Prof Dr Abd Majid Mohd Isa.
When this scenario happens, teachers won’t have the time and space to make sure every student acquire the skills needed that may transcend beyond academics, he said.
“In the end, students would not be equipped with soft skills in order to survive in an advanced society,” Prof Abd Majid explained.
Citing research, Abd Majid said that 25 to 30 are the optimum number for students in each class.
“This will provide time and space for teachers to develop the children to become valuable human capital,” he said.
To maximise the learning and teaching experience, Husaina said the teacher-to-student ratio is vital.
“Overpopulation in schools will also affect the implementation of school-based assessment as teachers struggle to assess students individually since the classroom size is large,” she concluded.
