Just Give Me Some Space
By Erin Warburton, Elementary Member Representative
I would never complain about smaller class sizes. In my opinion, it is the single most effective thing that can improve teaching practice and increase student success. As elementary class sizes are decreased, teachers are able to interact with students more often, and give them increased individual attention. Student needs are better met, teachers feel capable of delivering quality lessons, and assessment is more manageable. Yes, small classes are a very good thing indeed!
But a problem has arisen from this boon: the need for physical space. As classes are made smaller, more classes are formed, and those classes need somewhere to exist. Physical space in our schools has become a hot commodity; principals and teachers are struggling to find places to put students.
Ideally, the funding to reduce class sizes would have been accompanied by an announcement of funding for portable classrooms; some type of formula that would see new teachers being provided with new space in which to teach. Unfortunately, this logical decision was never made. Let's remember that while funding for teachers designated to reduce class sizes comes from the provincial Department of Education, verdicts regarding portable classrooms are made by the Department of Infrastructure and Transportation. These two different areas of government have different priorities, and do not always work together to meet common goals.
Instead, many elementary schools are faced with difficult choices. Classrooms are expanding into all available space in schools, space that was previously used in an effective manner that supported learning. Consider, for instance, a school music room. There might be a piano, Orff instruments, a variety of percussion and rhythm instruments, risers, handbells, and posters depicting various musical themes. The fortunate students in this school are obviously receiving a quality music program offered by a talented teacher. Now imagine that the music room must be sacrificed in order to accommodate a regular classroom. As music is part of the Alberta Program of Studies, it will still be offered to students, but the quality is likely to decrease. No teacher is capable of dragging a piano, busload of instruments, and musical props from classroom to classroom as they conduct lessons.
Another unenviable option is the use of the gymnasium stage as classroom. I don't know many elementary age students, or teachers for that matter, who could concentrate on guided reading or multiplication activities while another class is practicing basketball drills on the other side of a curtain. Physical Education classes are filled with purposeful and valuable noise, but don't make for a good studying atmosphere.
Yet a trend is developing in our elementary schools; as classrooms, the core of a school, invade all space, non-classroom spaces suffer. There are no areas to take a small group of students for remedial, pullout, or exceptional work. Many schools have lost art rooms, computer labs, library space and staff lounges to classrooms. Again, I emphasize my joy that class sizes are decreasing, and that students are becoming more successful. But I regret that other programs are suffering. In such a rich and vibrant province as Alberta, we can clearly afford to offer excellent education in all areas, and space to house them.
