The Problem of Numbers
The Problem of Numbers
The desire for large numbers:
Some servants of church education measure their success in service by the number of students in their classes, not by the extent of the spiritual benefit that those students gain. Therefore, at the beginning of their teaching service, they strive to manage numbers by all possible means…
It is good that the number of students increases, so that God may be glorified in them—not so that the teacher may boast and take pride in their number…!
Problems caused by large numbers:
- When the number becomes very large, sometimes reaching fifty students, it happens that the teacher is unable to maintain order in the class.
- Consequently, he is unable to benefit the children spiritually. He may not be able to convey information to them, nor give them the opportunity for dialogue, questions and answers, and to ensure their understanding of the material.
- With a large number, pastoral visitation becomes a problem.
- It also becomes difficult for the teacher to do individual work with his children through private sessions to become acquainted with their circumstances, problems, and personal spiritual needs—thus he turns into merely a lecturer!
- With a large number, it unfortunately sometimes happens that the teacher does not know the names of his students except through the register; thus the personal relationship between the teacher and his students is lost, and care disappears.
- It sometimes happens that the teacher does not notice the absence of some students amid the large number, and if he tries to verify attendance by reading names and checking them, a large portion of the lesson time is wasted.
- At the same time, some new children may enter and get lost within the group without him noticing them—or he may notice but not care—and the class becomes an arena of internal changes…
- A state of lukewarmness regarding concern for numbers may appear after the teacher reaches a state of inner saturation. The matter of numbers then turns into an issue of psychological satisfaction, not the building of the Kingdom!
- In general, the more the number increases in the class, the louder the teacher’s voice becomes, and the children’s noise increases, until the church education class turns into clamour and noise. This does not give an ideal image of the service, and it may also disrupt other classes, whose teachers are forced to raise their voices to cover the noise of their colleagues!
All of this may cause annoyance that is shown by the priest, the church council, or any visitor who notices this disturbance.
As for the teacher whose class is distinguished by a small number, he delivers his lesson in calmness. This calmness also appears in his voice and features, in his meekness, and it appears in his students who imitate him.
Discussing the problem in order to solve it
We cannot prevent many children from coming to church education schools. On the contrary, we feel great joy when the house of God is filled with worshippers, devotees, and catechumens…
But we distinguish between a large number of children in a branch of education and a large number of children in one single class.
It is possible for the number in one branch to increase greatly, while distributing this large number over many classes, so that the number of students in each class does not exceed about twenty. This is the number that a teacher can care for and give special attention.
Naturally, the class will grow. There is no objection to growth in number, provided that whenever classes grow, they are divided again. Thus, the number of classes increases while remaining limited in size.
Increasing the number of classes leads us to another problem: the sufficiency of the number of teachers to serve these classes…
This matter leads us to another topic, which is the preparation of servants. The more the number of servants increases, the problem disappears.
How easy it is to have two servants for one class. When it is divided, each of the two teachers takes responsibility for one class. The children are already accustomed to them, then a new teacher is added, and the cycle of numbers continues…
We are ready to hear your suggestions regarding the issue of numbers…
The importance of having a small number in the class
There are many harms resulting from overcrowding in church education classes, especially for children. Therefore, we advise having as few students as possible in each class, for the following reasons:
- The ability to maintain order:
Often the teacher is unable to maintain order in a class crowded with children, especially since the nature of the age encourages movement, talking, and roaming. - Facilitating individual care for each student:
It is difficult for a teacher to care for dozens of students individually. In a small class, questions can be distributed to all students, the teacher can ensure each one’s understanding, and can have them repeat what they have learned to confirm comprehension. In a crowded class, individual care is often lost in the wide crowd, and this also applies to monitoring the child’s spiritual life. - Facilitating pastoral visitation:
A small number can be easily visited, and the teacher can know the names of his students one by one and the condition of each, without difficulty. - Allowing for growth:
A teacher who has 10–20 students in his class can seek to grow their number, and if they increase to 30–40, for example, they can be distributed into two classes at the beginning-of-year organization. But if the class already has forty, fifty, or more, it is unreasonable for the teacher to seek numerical growth while exhausted by the current number. - Preserving calmness:
If the number of students is small, the teacher can explain in a calm, low voice, and the students respond in the same calm tone. But if the number increases, the teacher is forced to raise his voice, and the students shout as well, so noise spreads in that branch of church education, especially if the church space is limited. - Preserving the teacher’s humility:
So that he does not boast in the large number while the spiritual state of the class is weak and the teacher is not faithfully fulfilling his service. - Faithfulness in service:
In a small class, the teacher can assign homework, organize special notebooks, and review them all. This is difficult with large numbers. The same applies to the various activities a student can undertake under the supervision of his teacher, such as memorization, learning hymns, conducting competitions, and overseeing all the children’s activities—artistic, academic, and spiritual, etc.
The necessity of maintaining a small number of students in each class leads us to another topic: the sufficiency of the number of teachers, which inevitably leads us to pay attention to servants’ classes.
We leave this for another opportunity that the Lord may prepare…
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