Want to know if new education initiatives work? Run rigorous trials

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When I was a General Paper (GP) teacher in a junior college 15 years ago, I strongly believed that Singapore should reduce the number of students in each class, which at that time was about 30 students.

Intuitively, it seemed obvious that I could better tailor my teaching and provide higher-quality feedback if I had fewer students. In turn, I hoped they would learn more and do better in their exams.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 12, 2018, with the headline Want to know if new education initiatives work? Run rigorous trials. Subscribe