Essay On Class Size And Education

Class Size and Teaching Quality

Class size has been a global topic of debate for decades, as governments seek to provide the best education possible, while taking into account cost and resources. Education is a top priority in Hong Kong, as the culture is highly competitive and academic performance is prized above nearly all else. Despite Hong Kong’s high rankings according to the OECD, with local secondary students ranked second worldwide in terms of their reading and mathematics scores (Compare your country – PISA, 2015). However, the local education system has been under fire recently, as many fear that students are put under too much pressure and they are not receiving enough individual support and attention. This claim is supported by the OECD data, which reveals that local students have very low life satisfaction, little sense of belonging at school and high levels of schoolwork-related stress and anxiety.

(Fig 1. Hong Kong student levels of life satisfaction, sense of belonging at school and schoolwork-related anxiety compared to the OECD averages.)

(Compare your country – PISA, 2015)

Similarly, there is also debate regarding the

Overall, the strength of Hong Kong’s economy means that education will continue to be a priority. “The OECD economic think tank says the comparisons - based on test scores in 76 countries - show the link between education and economic growth” (Coughlin, 2015). Nonetheless, it is crucial for the government to make wise use of educational funding to best serve the interests of teachers and students alike. Student achievement is impacted by “effective teachers, students that desire to do well, and parental support.” (Trends in international mathematics and science study, 2011). It is essential to take into account teaching quality, regardless of whether the government chooses to reduce class