How many is too many? 

The latest buzz on pupil-teacher ratios

In all the statistics released on pupil-teacher ratios by Statistics Canada, Alberta consistently has the highest ratio of any Canadian province. It is important to remember this fact in the face of data released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The OECD data shows that for early childhood education, the average pupil-teacher ratio among 21 countries listed is 17.6 students for every one teacher; Canada ranks 15th with a ratio of 21.5, just ahead of the U.S. at 21.9.

At the primary level, the average among the 21 countries is 18.3 students for every one teacher; Canada ranks eighth at 17.0, just behind the U.S. at 16.9.

At the secondary level, the average among 18 countries listed is 14.6 students for every one teacher; Canada ranks 17th at 19.7, significantly behind the U.S. at 16.1.

Source: "Canada's pupil-teacher ratio among highest in OECD countries," Education Monitor,Vol. 3, no. 3, Summer 1999