As the province grapples with backlash around high school class sizes increasing, at least one expert is saying Kindergarten class sizes are already too big.
Dr. Angela Pyle is an assistant professor for applied psychology and human development at the University of Toronto.
She said classes got hard to manage after the system changed to play-based learning instead of classroom style.
"We've realized, now, that children in kindergarten can't produce the information and tell us what they know clearly enough in that fashion, so we've shifted to play-based learning," explained Pyle. "That requires a lot of teacher guidance and teacher extension, and the teachers have to be right in there during the play in order to assess. With 30 kids, getting to all of them is a lot."
Pyle said she'd like to see a cap of around 20 students, similar to grades 1 through 3.
"30 kids don't tend to play all together at the same thing at the same time," says Pyle. "The teachers actually have to be able to make it around the classroom, see the different groups of kids, and try to build on the skills that are already happening."
Deani Van Pelt is a Senior Fellow with think-tank Cardus, who has been studying research regarding class sizes from around the world.
She said the impact of smaller class sizes on teenagers is inconclusive, but Kindergarteners are a different story.
"What we find in the literature, in the academic study of class size, is that it does matter at lower grades," said Van Pelt. "Indeed, smaller class sizes, and the impacts at lower grades extend - the benefit of that extends - for many years."
