Class sizes betray educational fairness

A RECENT REPORT on China's educational development says that the average size of a primary school class across the nation has declined in recent years, while the average size of many junior and senior high school classes in cities has grown. China Youth Daily commented on Thursday:

The downsides of overlarge classes are self-evident. In a classroom packed with more than 100 students it can be hard to ensure all the students get the attention they need. Besides, overcrowded classrooms pose safety risks if there is an emergency.

Urbanization means the number of rural students seeking pre-college education in big cities is increasing, but this growing demand is not dealt with properly, especially in some densely populated provinces such as Henan.