Children taught in smaller classes are more likely to go to university and go on to earn higher salaries, researchers at the Centre for Economic Policy Research have claimed.

Forum Response: Professional Association of Teachers

Alison Johnston, senior professional officer at PAT, told ePolitix.com: said: "These findings are not surprising. Teachers, parents and children know the benefits of smaller classes, which give the teacher more time to spend with each individual pupil. One of the selling points of independent schools is their smaller classes.

"We would like to see further reductions in class sizes in state schools, at both primary and secondary level. However, unless the government solves the teacher recruitment and retention crisis, we could see class sizes rising instead of falling."

Forum Response: National Union of Teachers

Doug McAvoy, general secretary of the NUT, told ePolitix.com: "Class sizes are crucial to motivating pupils and enabling them to get the most out of their education.

"There may be doubts about the measures used in this survey, but it adds weight to our argument that class sizes should be brought down to more acceptable limits."