Britain gets a poor mark for class sizes: Even Mexico does better at primary level, says OECD

Only Japan, Korea and Turkey have more five to 11-year-olds in the same lesson.

There are almost 26 pupils to the average class in state primaries here  -  despite widespread concerns over disruption and youngsters receiving less attention.

Missed opportunity: Primary school pupils do better in smaller classes

Pupils in Slovakia, Mexico and Hungary all benefit from smaller teaching groups.

And our crowded classrooms come despite above average spending per pupil, according to figures from the Organisation for Economic Co- operation and Development.

The Government invests £3,610 per child at primary level, against an OECD average of £3,549.

The group said Britain has 'one of the largest average class sizes at this level of education' out of 31 countries examined in its report.

The average state primary class size for OECD countries in 2006 was 21.5, compared to 25.8 here.

Its report said: 'Only Japan, Korea and Turkey have larger classes, while in 14 OECD countries there are 20 or fewer students per primary level class.'

At secondary level, however, Britain fares better, with 23.7 pupils to a classroom, compared to the average of 23.8.

But the study also shows the gulf between state and independent schools here is wider than in any other country.

In primary education, there are 13 pupils more per classroom in state schools than there are in private ones.

Across OECD countries on average, class sizes between the two sectors differ by just one or two students per lesson.

The study  -  Education at a Glance  -  said smaller classes are 'often perceived to allow teachers to focus more on the individual needs of students and to reduce the amount of class time they spend dealing with disruption', although it conceded the evidence for this is not conclusive.

The findings come as a separate report from the think-tank Civitas shows that in 2007-08 there were 22,810 children aged four to seven in classes of more than 31 pupils, up from 21,060 the year before.

It claimed the Government has 'failed to honour' a commitment to have no more than 30 pupils in an infant class.

John Bangs, head of education at the National Union of Teachers, called on the Government to commit more funding to cutting class sizes.

He said: 'The Government congratulates itself on the major expenditure it has made in the last five years, but there is still a hell of a lot to be done to cut the large class sizes in primary schools.

'It makes the job of the teacher so much tougher.'

A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families yesterday insisted there have been 'steadily smaller class sizes and a better adult-pupil ratio' over the past ten years.

He said: 'In 1997 there were 17 pupils per adult at primary level, now there are 12.'

Yesterday's report also revealed Britain has slipped from fourth to 12th position in the international graduate league table.

Thirty-nine per cent of school-leavers went to university and graduated with a degree in 2006  -  up from 37 per cent in 2000.

But 11 other OECD countries  -  Australia, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland and Sweden  -  saw graduate numbers grow at a faster rate.