Secondary school size, operating costs and curriculum structure

Proponents of increases in average school size commonly employ two main arguments: bigger schools are less expensive to operate than small schools, and they are better able to meet students' educational needs through the provision of more extensive curricula. This paper examines these arguments in the case of Victorian government secondary schools, using data relating to the 1984 school year. It presents results which suggest that while size brings considerable advantages, plateau effects begin to appear at relatively low enrolment levels. The paper comprises five main sections: an outline of the conceptual background to the study; a description of the database that is used; a discussion of the methodology employed; a presentation of results; and a discussion of the limitations and implications of the work.