Class sizes in Ontario public schools have shrunk and the number of gym teachers has risen, but few programs have returned to pre-1998 levels, says a report on Ontario's education system released Wednesday. Fewer than half of schools have music teachers, and there are more than 40,000 students on waiting lists for special education services, says the Annual Report on Ontario's Public Schools 2006. "Students who need extra support, either because they speak English as a second language, or they need special ed help, or they need access to different courses - those students still aren't getting the help they need," said Annie Kidder, the spokeswoman for People for Education, which commissioned the report. People for Education is a registered charity that supports public education in Ontario's English, French and Catholic schools. The report found the percentage of students requiring English as a second language support has increased, yet the percentage of schools with ESL teachers declined to 27 per cent this year from 41 per cent in 1999. Slightly more than half of elementary schools have no ESL teacher at all. It also found that the graduation rate fell to 71 per cent in 2004 from 78 per cent in 1995, even though student test scores in Ontario rose compared to those in other provinces. Only Alberta's graduation rate was lower, the report said. Another top concern is the number of students reporting they don't enjoy reading. The report suggests the trend is related to the "steady increase in young people's use of electronic media," but also cites the decline in the number of librarians and special reading programs. "I'm worried that, in our drive to set targets for test scores and focus on the mechanics of reading, that we've lost that true meaning of literacy," said Kidder. The report said art education continues to be cut despite research showing such right-brain subjects enhance learning in more rigorous courses like arithmetic. Just 16 per cent of schools have visual arts teachers, compared to 20 per cent in 1999. Music and gym programs were bolstered but still have yet to reach 1998 levels. The report notes that many students are riding on school buses for more than two hours a day as small schools in mostly rural areas continue to close.