Anger over 200% rise in number of infant class sizes

A row broke out last night as official figures showed the number of infant school aged children in classes of over 30 had more than trebled in the past five years.

One of Labour's five key pledges in the 1997 election was to declare that class sizes of more than 30 for five-to-seven-year-olds would become illegal by 2002

Immediately on taking office, ministers earmarked cash saved from ending the controversial Assisted Places Scheme - under which pupils were offered subsidised places in independent schools under the Conservatives - to fulfilling the pledge.

Eventually, they reached their target with a year to spare. John Prescott trumpeted the pledges yesterday during his address to the Labour party conference in Manchester.

However, yesterday's official statistics - published by the Department for Education and Skills - shows the percentage of five to seven-year-olds taught alongside at least thirty other pupils has increased since then from 0.5 per cent to 1.6 per cent.

In numerical terms, this means 27,882 pupils taught in oversized classes.

The figures - which confirm provisional estimates made earlier this year - were immediately seized on by Liberal Democrats as "an utter embarrassment" for ministers. Sarah Teather, their education spokeswoman, said: "Large class sizes harm standards, affect discipline and are a major barrier to improving schools.

"All the research in this area shows that for younger children, especially those who struggle in school, smaller classes are vital. Parents who can afford to opt for private education know that because a main motivation for them has always been smaller class sizes."

She said it showed Labour had "failed to get the basics right". This year the percentage of seven-year-olds reaching the required standard in English, maths and science national curriculum tests went down by one per cent. The statistics show that - overall - class sizes in primary schools have shown a slight rise from an average of 26.2 to 26.3 in the past year.

In key stage two (for seven to 11-year-olds) the percentage of classes with more than 30 pupils has fallen from 19.8 to 19.4.

It is among five to seven-year-olds that the numbers has risen - although the statistics stress that more than half of those over 30 pupils have ministerial permission for the size of the class. This can be given, say, if an extra child arrives in mid term - bringing the number to 31 - to avoid having to turn away the extra child or splitting the class in two.

By contrast, in secondary schools class sizes have fallen from an average of 21.7 to 21.5 in the past five years.

Teachers' unions claim the Government should have built on its pledge to outlaw classes of more than 30 for five to seven-year-olds - and gone on to reduce them even further.

Yesterday's figures show appeals from parents dissatisfied with the school allocated to their children have gone down - from 59, 700 to 59,300.