A British teacher's union is calling for class sizes in England and Wales to be reduced by 2020 to a maximum 20 students.

The National Union of Teachers -- which is set to discuss the issue at its Manchester, England, conference during the weekend -- said keeping class sizes to 20 students or fewer would help teachers keep discipline in the classroom and allow them to give more attention to individual students who need personalized attention, The Times of London reported Friday.

The union's stance on the issue follows Schools Minister Jim Knight's statement this week that class sizes of up to 70 students are acceptable and could promote good learning.

English class sizes average 26.2 pupils in primary schools and 21.1 students in secondary schools. A total of 14 percent of primary school students and 11 percent of secondary school students are currently in classes numbering 31 or more pupils.

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