Ms Dadina Wong Mee Ching hit the nail on the head on the issue of class sizes (Yes, invest more money to reduce class sizes in schools, March 4).

Instead of closing down schools, reduce class sizes - especially at the primary and lower secondary levels.

Before the Normal stream was introduced in secondary school, teachers who went for a training session were told that there would be a maximum number of 30 to 35 students in a class.

I know of schools that had the luxury of 25 in a classroom, but in the two schools I taught in, there were 40 and even 41 students in a class.

These were students with very short attention spans, were academically weak in most subjects and, in some cases, had a poor learning attitude because of a chip on the shoulder after being labelled Normal stream students.

Yet they were students who, with the right encouragement, managed to do better than expected and were caring

and unselfish, though mischievous at times. They could independently organise outings and would participate enthusiastically in classroom activities that were crafted to capture their attention.

One Secondary 1 student could barely read simple sentences aloud and would stutter and stammer. But once individual attention was paid to him, he persevered, made progress, carried on to Sec 4 in the Normal stream and passed the Normal (Academic) level examination.

If Normal (Academic) stream teachers had been given the 30 to 35 students they were initially told they would get, I wonder how many more students would have made progress of this kind?

It is not just the class size that will discourage young men and women from becoming teachers, but also the workload. This includes marking exercises, a myriad of administrative tasks and other activities which leave little time for rest.

I remember a lecturer reminding us that the holidays were for resting. Now, even the holidays are used up in school with extra lessons, meetings and other activities.

My memories of the last 10 years before I retired are of daily marking till late at night on school days and weekends. It seemed to be the norm for teachers of English and the humanities.

So don't tear down schools with low enrolments, but make full use of the space for the sake of the younger generation.

Patricia Maria de Souza