Another educational panacea comes in for criticism in another OECD report. Smaller class size is assumed to always lead to better educational results, but it’s a very questionable assumption.

Smaller classes supposedly allow teachers to give students more individual attention. But it would be preferable to have a competent teacher who could clearly explain things to students in the first place, rather than an incompetent who has to go around to the kids trying to clarify lessons.

Besides, how do we know that teachers don’t just see a smaller class as a desirable reduction in workload? Where is there any evidence that they actually give more individual instruction after their classes are reduced, much less evidence that students benefit from that instruction if given? This is all a con game to hire more teachers.