Overview of Class Size

and Composition in
British Columbia Public Schools
2015/16

Provincial Overview

These class size data are current as of October 31, 2015 and have been verified by school districts.

December 2015
Analysis and Reporting Unit

PLEASE NOTE

The Ministry makes small and continuous improvements to the quality of its data. Sometimes these changes
result in differences from previously published reports. The data in this report are the most accurate data
available at time of publication.
Ministry reports are available at http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/reporting/
Contact the Analysis and Reporting Unit at educ.reportingunit@gov.bc.ca

December 2015

Overview of Class Size and Composition in BC Public Schools 2015/16

Page 2

Province - Average Class Size

Number of Classes

Source: Class size data collection (as of October 31) from BC public schools.

550
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

Kindergarten Class Sizes

Number of Students in Class

Number of Classes

1,400

Grades 1 - 3 Class Sizes

1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0
Number of Students in Class

Number of Classes

1,600

Grades 4 - 7 Class Sizes

1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0

Number of Classes

Number of Students in Class

9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0

Grades 8 - 12 Class Sizes

Number of Students in Class

December 2015

Overview of Class Size and Composition in BC Public Schools 2015/16

Page 3

Province - Average Class Size

Source: Class size data collection (as of October 31) from BC public schools.

Province - Average Class Size

Kindergarten

Grade 1 - 3

Grade 4 - 7

Grade 8 - 12

19.7

21.8

26.0

23.4

Number of Reported Classes with Assigned Education Assistants

19,800

Number of Reported Schools in Province

1,380

Number of Reported Classes in Province

67,107

Number of Reported Classes in Province with more than 30 students

1,343

December 2015

Overview of Class Size and Composition in BC Public Schools 2015/16

Page 4

Province - Students Entitled to an Individual Education Plan (IEP)

Source: Class size data collection (as of October 31) from BC public schools.

Grades K-3 - Number of Classes in Province with 'X' Number of Students Entitled to an IEP
3,500
2888

Number of Classes

3,000
2,500

2291

2,000
1376

1,500
1,000

562
500
164

50

19

7 or Greater

0
0

Number of Students Entitled to an IEP

Grades 4-12 - Number of Classes in Province with 'X' Number of Students Entitled to an IEP
16,000

Number of Classes

14,000

13619
11632

12,000

10177

10,000

8046

8,000

5950

6,000
4154

3795

4,000

2375

2,000
0
0

Number of Students Entitled to an IEP

December 2015

Overview of Class Size and Composition in BC Public Schools 2015/16

7 or
Greater

Page 5

Province - English Language Learners (ELL)

Source: Class size data collection (as of October 31) from BC public schools.

Grades K-3 - Number of Classes in Province with 'X' Number of ELL

3,000
2,507

Number of Classes

2,500
2,046
2,000
1,500
1,000

833
623
445

500

365

291

249

0
0

7 or Greater

Number of Students in ELL Program

Grades 4-12 - Number of Classes in Province with 'X' Number of ELL

40,000

35,718

Number of Classes

35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
9,131

10,000

4,856
5,000

3,056

1,948

1,305

940

2,794

0
0

Number of Students in ELL Program

December 2015

Overview of Class Size and Composition in BC Public Schools 2015/16

7 or
Greater

Page 6

Province: Average Class Size by School District

Source: Class size data collection (as of October 31) from BC public schools.

District
005
006
008
010
019
020
022
023
027
028
033
034
035
036
037
038
039
040
041
042
043
044
045
046
047
048
049
050
051
052
053
054
057
058
059
060
061
062
063
064
067
068
069
070
071
072
073
074
075
078
079
081
082
083
084
085
087
091
092
093

Southeast Kootenay
Rocky Mountain
Kootenay Lake
Arrow Lakes
Revelstoke
Kootenay-Columbia
Vernon
Central Okanagan
Cariboo-Chilcotin
Quesnel
Chilliwack
Abbotsford
Langley
Surrey
Delta
Richmond
Vancouver
New Westminster
Burnaby
Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows
Coquitlam
North Vancouver
West Vancouver
Sunshine Coast
Powell River
Sea to Sky
Central Coast
Haida Gwaii
Boundary
Prince Rupert
Okanagan Similkameen
Bulkley Valley
Prince George
Nicola-Similkameen
Peace River South
Peace River North
Greater Victoria
Sooke
Saanich
Gulf Islands
Okanagan Skaha
Nanaimo-Ladysmith
Qualicum
Alberni
Comox Valley
Campbell River
Kamloops/Thompson
Gold Trail
Mission
Fraser-Cascade
Cowichan Valley
Fort Nelson
Coast Mountains
North Okanagan-Shuswap
Vancouver Island West
Vancouver Island North
Stikine
Nechako Lakes
Nisga'a
Conseil scolaire francophone
Provincial Average

December 2015

Kindergarten
17.8
19.0
19.9
16.5
17.5
19.9
20.2
20.5
18.7
20.0
19.4
20.4
20.9
19.6
20.1
19.9
19.4
21.1
19.2
19.9
20.3
20.0
19.0
18.6
19.5
19.8
14.0
15.1
18.0
18.8
17.7
19.5
19.1
18.1
19.5
20.7
19.9
19.2
20.7
18.7
17.8
20.2
20.2
20.3
20.1
19.8
19.7
17.4
20.6
18.9
20.7
20.1
16.8
20.1
15.3
17.3
9.1
17.7
13.6
17.8
19.7

Grade 1 - 3
21.8
21.0
21.6
14.9
21.2
20.7
21.8
22.8
20.2
21.5
22.3
22.5
22.6
21.9
22.3
22.2
21.7
22.5
21.4
22.2
22.4
21.9
21.7
21.3
21.0
21.5
15.9
13.4
19.8
21.3
22.0
20.7
20.9
20.5
19.9
21.7
21.5
22.4
22.6
20.6
21.1
22.1
21.4
22.2
21.7
22.2
21.6
20.0
22.4
20.7
22.6
20.9
19.5
22.3
13.2
19.3
10.6
20.9
15.5
20.0
21.8

Grade 4 - 7
24.5
24.3
26.1
18.2
23.9
26.2
27.0
25.9
22.0
24.7
25.8
27.6
27.6
27.0
27.6
27.5
26.1
26.3
25.9
26.7
28.6
27.3
26.6
21.5
26.2
25.1
17.4
18.2
21.9
18.9
24.9
23.7
26.1
23.7
22.0
25.1
26.1
27.4
28.4
23.6
25.0
27.1
25.7
26.9
26.4
26.5
26.3
21.0
27.8
24.6
28.4
23.6
23.6
26.6
12.6
22.6
12.4
23.4
15.3
20.8
26.0

Overview of Class Size and Composition in BC Public Schools 2015/16

Grade 8 - 12
20.5
23.2
20.4
14.9
17.1
23.6
22.3
23.2
20.4
23.3
22.7
25.1
23.8
23.7
22.1
24.3
23.8
24.1
24.8
25.8
26.2
24.1
25.2
20.3
23.9
24.2
11.5
15.2
19.7
21.0
19.5
23.1
22.4
16.6
23.0
22.8
24.5
24.7
25.8
21.7
24.9
26.3
23.9
20.9
22.4
25.7
23.1
14.2
25.3
18.7
24.8
17.4
20.8
20.7
12.1
19.7
12.1
18.9
11.0
17.7
23.4
Page 7

Glossary
Term

Definition / Notes

English Language
Learners (ELL)
Grade

A program offered to students whose primary language(s) is/are other than English, and
who may require additional services.

The assigned grade of a student on October 31.

Kindergarten

Number of Students
Student

Student Entitled to
an Individual
Education Plan

December 2015

Student population is calculated by headcount.

A person enrolled in a BC school. Student populations are calculated by headcount.
Students include all adult and school-aged persons who are working toward a certificate
of graduation.
A student for whom an Individual Education Plan (IEP) must be designed under the
Individual Education Plan order, Ministerial Order 638/95.

Overview of Class Size and Composition in BC Public Schools 2015/16

Page 8