Educational Philosophy

Effects of Overcrowded Classrooms

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Overcrowding in public school classrooms is an ongoing problem. As schools across the country get shut down, those students get sent to another school. Those schools end up having larger classrooms for the most part. Eventually, those schools become overcrowded. Unfortunately, overcrowding of classrooms lead to many problems in the long run for the most part. This is one of the reasons that the public school system in the United States has taken such a bad rapport. But, the short-term and long-term effects of overcrowded classrooms are very detrimental. What are the effects in the first place?

The first effect would be a drop in grades for the most part. With so many students packed into one classroom, the teacher is not going to be able to have one-on-one time with the students that need help. Students with learning disabilities are just generally weak in one subject or an aspect of any subject will be at a grave disadvantage. The single teacher would not be able to dedicate his/her time to all the students. The students who need help from the teacher will probably not receive it due to the number of students in the classroom.

Also in that respect, expect students' grades to drop in the process. Grades and size of classroom do usually go hand and hand with one another. As a result, when in college, one might choose to pick a small to medium-sized classroom over a larger classroom.

Kids tend to be very chatty when grouped together. Even with a small to medium-sized classroom, the teacher will still have work cut out trying to keep them quiet. In the case of an overcrowded classroom, the teacher will lose valuable lesson time because the kids cannot keep quiet. If the kids get agitated, there could be several fights that could break out in the classroom. Should a fight break out in the classroom, expect other students to get hurt in the process as collateral damage.

In the case of a special education classroom, things can get even more hectic. The special education classes usually hold the most unruly of students. In an overcrowded classroom in regards to special education students, it can be very chaotic. Plus, their grades could possibly drop even further.

Also, utility bills will go up. The electricity bill for an overcrowded classroom will go up. Imagine the total electricity bill for a bunch of overcrowded classes altogether.

Due to the size of the classroom, some students can huddle together and do things behind the teacher's back.

Also, overcrowded classrooms put the next school at risk of being shut down. With aspects such as standardized testing, a lack of teachers, and so forth, overcrowded classrooms can hinder student performance. If student performance is hindered, the overall performance goes down. Thus, the school gets a low rating. As a result, the school could received decreased funding. In the end, the school could get closed down.

This further makes it harder for teachers in case of assignments having to be printed out. Teachers will be “fighting” each other to be the next one to use the copy machine.

If the school gets closed down, students from the previous school could get sent to a third school. Those classrooms will be even more overcrowded.

Overall, overcrowded classrooms bring forth numerous and detrimental effects to the classroom, the students, and the school. Not all students are equal. There are students who may need more help than others. In the case of an overcrowded classroom, those students might not get the necessary help they need and will fall through the cracks.   

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