UCAC welcomes the extra £36m to reduce class sizes
23 January 2017
UCAC welcomes the extra £36m to reduce class sizes
UCAC welcomes today’s statement by the Education Secretary regarding the extra £36m to reduce class sizes in Infant Classes.
“While we welcome this statement it’s important to put it in context. When one considers that the money will be paid out over a 5 year period, it is not a vast amount; it is, however, most certainly a small step in the right direction,” said Ywain Myfyr, Policy Officer with UCAC.
“We hope that in helping to reduce class sizes this money will go some way towards reducing teachers’ workload and improving standards of attainment, especially for pupils living in areas of social deprivation,” he added.
“The introduction of the Foundation Stage was a visionary step but it was not properly funded from the outset. It is essential that we ensure that no child in the Foundation Phase in Wales is educated in a class which exceeds the legal limit in terms of size. It is now important that this money is shared carefully to ensure fairness.”
“We now call on the Welsh Government to go one step further and make classes of under 25 statutory for all age groups and to plan for a general reduction in class sizes for the benefit of pupils and the education workforce in general in Wales. We believe that this would match the principles expressed in this morning’s statement.”
For further information please contact Ywain Myfyr on 01970 639 950 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.