SchoolNews October 2026 by Gemma Harling

The OECD’s Education at a Glance 2026 report also shows that Australian teachers spent more hours teaching each year than those in most other major countries.

The report states that the average class size in Australian public primary schools was 23 in 2024, a figure unchanged from 2015. That compares with an OECD average of 21 in both years. Australia had the equal sixth largest average public primary class sizes in the OECD in 2024.

In lower secondary public schools, the average class size in 2015 and 2024 was 22. In private schools the average fell from 24 to 19 over the same period. The OECD average in 2024 was 23 for lower secondary public schools and 21 for private schools.

Australian Education Union Federal President Correna Haythorpe said average class sizes had not fallen despite a rapid increase in the diversity and complexity of student needs. The primary drivers of that change are an increase in the number of students with disability, mental health and wellbeing issues, learning difficulties and behavioural problems. The number of students with disability in public schools has increased by 50 percent since 2015 and they now make up 28.6 percent of students.

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