I agree on the class size thing Vanna, my classes in prep, & primary school in Townsville were never less than 45, & usually more like 50. Every kid in those classes had a reasonable knowledge of the 3Rs by age 7 at the latest.

Granted our teachers had a bit more discipline going for them. Disruptive, or difficult kids got the message rather quickly back then.

It is little wonder that student interest in math & science has declined dramatically. We have virtually no one who can teach it in some senior high schools.

In our 1700 kid, near city, country high we had an average of 65 kids doing math C, & physics in 11 & 12 each year. However for many years, the school had only one teacher who could do, let alone teach math C, & some of the physics.

This may have been OK if he was conscientious, & had the kids interest at heart. Unfortunately he was a union delegate, & that was his main interest. This kept him out of the class room about 15/20% of the time. The year he took long service leave was even worse. The biology teacher, & the lady from the subcontinent, [who's degree must have been one of those mail order ones] who were supposed to do his job, had no chance.

I could show my daughter how to do the work, but she said I didn't do it right, not as "they" wanted it, so she & another girl spent 9 hours every Saturday getting to & from a coaching clinic at QUT. They then helped a few, as did the brilliant kid for who all this stuff was child's play. [Don't you hate those kids] Come to think of it, it's not hate, just envy, & he was a really nice kid.

The rest of those kids, the cream of our local crop, just wasted a couple of years going through the motions.

I don't think our English courses were that bad, but then, with my ability in English, how the hell would I know.