Revealed: Which sector is tops for teacher ratios

Government or independent? We reveal which education sector has the best student to teacher ratios in Tasmania.

TASMANIAN independent schools have been revealed as the best resourced when it comes to student-teacher ratios.

The most recent Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority data for 257 Tasmanian schools shows government schools make up three-quarters of the schools in the top 50 with the highest ratio of students to teachers.

EXCLUSIVE INTERACTIVE: SEARCH AND COMPARE ALL TASMANIAN SCHOOLS’ STUDENT-TEACHER RATIOS

Catholic schools accounted for the remaining institutions on the list except for one independent school. There were three Catholic schools in the top five — Stella Maris Catholic School in Burnie, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in Devonport and St Thomas More’s Catholic School in Newstead.

MORE SCHOOLS ANALYSIS:

50 Tasmanian schools with worst teacher v student ratios

50 Tasmanian schools with best teacher v student ratios

Best and worst ratios in Hobart schools revealed

Best and worst ratios in Launceston schools revealed

Best and worst ratios in North-West Tasmanian schools revealed

The Friends’ School director of teaching and learning Steve Barratt with grade 12 students, from left, Meg Pointon, 17, Theo Ellingsen, 17, Sam Gowans, 18, and and Charlie Potter, 18. Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

At the other end of the scale, there were 15 independent schools in the top 50 with the lowest student to teacher ratios.

The lowest overall was multi-campus independent Christian school Oakwood School while other high-profile independent schools such as The Hutchins School, Launceston Church Grammar School, Scotch Oakburn College and The Friends’ School also fared well.

YOUNG STUDENTS LEAD THE WAY IN NAPLAN TESTING

Independent Schools Tasmania executive director Tony Crehan said while a low student-teacher ratio could be an indicator of quality learning, in itself it was no guarantee.“Independent schools aim to ensure they have sufficient numbers of high-performing classroom teachers and qualified professional support staff to meet the differing needs of all their students, to give them a nurturing environment and to keep each of them fully engaged and, when appropriate, challenged to achieve the best they can,” Mr Crehan said.

“Often this does result in a low student-teacher ratio, but parents need to look behind the numbers to get the best ‘fit’ for their child.”

NEW SECTION: MORE EDUCATION STORIES

Independent Schools Tasmania executive director Tony Crehan.

Catholic Education Tasmania deputy executive director Sean Gill said Tasmanian Catholic schools complied with the national standards for student-teacher ratios.

“Our policy of ensuring that no Catholic child is deprived of a Catholic education sometimes means in high-density areas the ratio is a little higher than other schools,” he said.

Tasmanian Association of State School Organisations president Nigel Jones said Tasmania’s student-teacher ratios were not too bad, but there were some classrooms in schools across the state that were bursting at the seams.

“Some of the primary school class sizes are ridiculous — they’re cramped and in some cases they’re in really old buildings and there’s not much room for them to expand. A lot of city schools are at capacity,” he said.

HOBART’S STAR STUDENTS: SCHOOLS’ TOP ALUMNI