Primary schools with very few students should be amalgamated to save on operational costs, the National Audit Office is suggesting.

A review of class sizes at primary level has found wide disparities in the costs incurred to run the various State schools situated in almost every locality.

According to the audit tabled in Parliament yesterday, for the scholastic year 2013/2014, the operational cost per student at the San Lawrenz primary school was €9,000, almost three times the national average. The school, which can handle 150 students, has a population of just 43 across all year groups, leading to very small class sizes.

A similar situation was recorded in neighbouring Għarb, which had a student population of 74 even though the school is capable of handling 170 students.

“Low student populations in these schools inflate average student operational costs to €9,162 [San Lawrenz] and €6,643 [Għarb] annually,” the NAO said.

The audit found that 30 out of 68 State primary schools had a student population below 200 across all year groups in 2013. This led to five of the 30 schools operating with an average class size below 10 students, four of which were located in Gozo.

The NAO said the situation raised concerns on the need for a State primary school in almost every town and village, particularly in situations where the declining student population was more pronounced.

The operational expenditure on primary schools, including the kinder years, amounted to more than €68 million, of which 94 per cent were wages.

The NAO said there was no evidence to suggest that small class sizes were beneficial to students’ academic and social development.

A significantly smaller class was also detrimental to students’ social development

As part of the audit, the NAO analysed national academic results for the core subjects – maths, English and Maltese – pertaining to students in years 4, 5 and 6. No relationship between educational attainment and the respective class size was noticed.

“Consequently, a classroom with a relatively low number of students is not only uneconomical but does not seem to contribute towards improving students’ academic attainment,” the NAO said.

It also noted that international studies found that a significantly smaller class was also detrimental to students’ social development. The NAO listed some options to amalgamate primary schools and save on operational costs.

Proposals include having one primary school for San Lawrenz and Għarb or, more significantly, one large primary school in Gozo to cater for the combined student population of just over 300 from San Lawrenz, Għarb, Kerċem, Xewkija and Żebbuġ.

These five schools had a total operational cost of €2.3 million in 2013, which worked out at almost €7,000 per student per year. Under the NAO proposal to combine them in one new school, operational costs will drop to €1.2 million, or just over €3,500 per student.

A similar proposal is to amalgamate the Gudja primary school with the Luqa one, which was refurbished at a cost of €2.3 million 10 years ago and expanded to cater for more than 400 students.

The NAO found that the Luqa school, beset by a dwindling population, was operating at 37 per cent below its student capacity despite the investment. Transferring the 81 students from Gudja to Luqa would cut operational costs for both schools.

In its calculations, the NAO took into consideration increased transport costs for students who would have to travel to another locality because of school amalgamation and the premium tied to vacated schools in prime locations.

While many schools have spare capacity as a result of fewer students, others, including those in Marsascala, Mellieħa, Qormi, Paola, Żebbuġ, Attard, Birkirkara and Ħamrun, are operating at full capacity.

Though these facts underscored the need for rationalising buildings and class sizes, the NAO acknowledged it was a difficult task. “Any initiative to rationalise class size in State primary schools is hindered by the historical practice of maintaining a primary school in every town and village,” the report said.

It noted that the education authorities had not yet undertaken comprehensive studies to assess the possibility of amalgamating primary schools, particularly ones with very small student populations.

The cost of inefficiency: comparison between cost extremes

Primary schools student population

* The rise in student population is attributable to foreign families settling in Malta, such as for work-related motives. Dwindling State school populations were offset by higher preferences for Church and independent schools.

Old schools

Most buildings being used as primary schools (76 per cent) were constructed over 50 years ago – some dating back to 1856. Only one school, the newly-built Pembroke primary, satisfies the class space requirements set out in the Education Division’s rulebook.

kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com