The Alberta Teacher's Association says the number of kids in provincial classrooms is far too large and is demanding the province do something to make them more manageable. 

At the ATA's Annual Representative Assembly in Calgary yesterday (May 19) ATA President Greg Jeffery called on the Alberta government to hire 2,000 more teachers by this September to reduce the size of classes.

Jeffery says that was by far the number one issue for teachers in Alberta as identified in a recent survey.

More than 425 delegates attended this weekend assembly and voted on over 155 resolutions.  Jeffery said the class size resolution has to do with recommendations that go all the way back to 2003 when the government of Premier Ralph Klein led the province.  Jeffery says they've calculated that it would take 2,000 extra teachers to get to 2009 levels, the closest Alberta has ever come to those recommendations.

Alberta Education Minister David Eggen says that smaller class sizes are an essential issue to tackle and says the current provincial budget has $297 million to do just that. 

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