Huge class-sizes, no blackboards, noise, but students achieving well

Friday, June 10th, 2011

No blackboards, 200 students in a mega-classroom, agile learning areas, open-plan rooms where much larger groups, and sometimes even the whole school, learn under one roof are increasingly part of the Catholic school system in the Sydney diocese of Parramatta.

With a stated goal of closing the last traditional classroom within 5 years, executive director of the diocese’s schools, Greg Whitby, says the transition to increasingly big learning areas is well advanced, despite some opposition from some teachers and some parents.

”Everyone thinks we’ve got a barn with 200 ferals running around and teachers screaming,” Whitby said. It’s however far from the truth.

Noisy?

Yes, but in one class at St Monica’s Primary school at North Parramatta, children were learning to read and follow a recipe in the kitchen; a dozen children were working on laptops; 30 were watching video trailers they had produced; others were dressing for a play and many were at round tables on a variety of tasks.

Reportedly, the discipline has improved since the school changed shape.

“You don’t really have children off-task” assistant principal, Mary-Jo Mason said.

Mega-classrooms is a massive change for parents and some have resisted and have voted with their feet.

“Parents have got to get used to the idea, because they all had their own teacher, 30 kids and a blackboard out the front,” said one father, Jason Jones.

Others vented their frustration because this learning environment is not like the real world.

John Quessy, the assistant secretary of the Independent Education Union, said many teachers were not impressed. They struggled with the noise, and with having to talk more loudly and to plan as a team rather than working independently.

”We’re not making a judgment of whether this is good or bad,” he said.

“But any system of education requires people who are willing and capable of delivering it.”

Whitby though, is of the opinion that results are better and it is not possible to please everyone.

”But we can say we’re giving [the children] the very best education. The enrollments are up, teachers are not kicking my door in and saying ‘I hate working’ and they’re getting some amazing learning environments.”

Sources