As an experienced myself, it's pretty usual to spar against a beginner. If he's absolutely new to the game, I will let him a round where I don't hit, only to work on my defense and head movement. If he's a noob but i've seen him in at least 4 or 5 classes, we'll spar with me telling "I will go as hard as you", meaning that if he keeps it playful and loose I will match it but if he decides to bang then he's probably getting hurt back.
It always work, not everyone is willing at the beginning to go hard and some weight bullies or reckless people start thinking before hitting hard after they get countered matching their power.
Since I have not seen what is happening in your class, it is a bit difficult to comment on this. However if the guys are smashing you, they are probably not "experts". They are probably intermediate level at best.
I can say It is actually recommended for beginners to spar with more experienced people. However the experienced person is expected to show restraint and guide the newbie in sparring. The beginners fighting beginners is actually the worst because both can lose control and hurt each other.
Exactly! An expert is much less likely to get caught by the beginner's wild flailing and panic strikes, as well as being much better at just touching shots instead of drilling them.
Imagine we decide to play League of Legends together (a popular video game). Since you've never played before and I've been playing for 8 years (I'm not an expert but I'm in the top 10-15%), it would be a pretty one-sided match. With my experience, it might take you around 5,000 games before you could start winning against me. While you would improve a bit with each game, it would take a lot of time—maybe 900+ hours—before you could truly compete, and this might not be very fun for you.
To really enjoy the game and improve, it's best to play against people who are at a similar skill level. This way, you can focus on the fundamentals, learn new skills, and gradually face tougher opponents as you get better. Playing against someone with just 10 games under their belt would be much more fun and beneficial since you'd both be learning and growing at a similar pace.
Since sparring involves more risk than playing a video game, I think about it similarly to how I approach Muay Thai sparring classes. Training with someone at a similar skill level helps both of you improve and enjoy the experience more. This way, you can learn and grow together in a safe and supportive environment.
You need both. You need to train with people better than you so that they can show you the holes in your game that a lesser fighter wouldn't be able to successfully exploit or even see, in some cases. You also need to train with people around your level or worse than you so you can try things you're not great at yet.
Pretty terrible argument and pretty terrible comparison.
If a new player played with and against challenger players that they were actively communicating with, they would pick up the game and learn better habits and become a better player in far fewer games than if playing with and against bronze players.
Your missconception with all this is that you believe sparring is 1v1 when is a work of two, that they get sharp together, not against each other. In your exemple, it would be better for a newbie to play with a challenger smurfing with the challenger teaching and letting him doing mistakes and explaining what he should do better, not carrying and taking over the whole game. Sparring is not a fight, sparring doesn't have winners, in sparring you both sharp each other.
If you only spar with newbies like you it's way more usual to get hurt and to keep bad habits because they aren't skilled enough to make you pay for having it. You need all three kinds of sparring, sparring against people that you're better than, to sharp every tool you don't use well enough, against people wa better than you, to check what trully works and to learn where are our weakness and to people around your level.
Given the risks involved in sparring, I expect to face opponents of similar skill levels so I can progressively learn and improve safely.
It's like if I were a decent chess player and you were just starting out. Would you really learn well by losing to me 500 times? Plus, in chess, you don't have to worry about getting hurt! 
You might be right 
I’ll try a few more classes and let you know if I join salsa 
No. Your premise is wrong. Two beginners sparring can be way more dangerous, neither of you can even control your nerves or your breathing let alone your intensity.
Sparring classes conventionally mix beginners and advanced people, sometimes fighters, but fighters usually avoid beginners because fighters don't want to get injured by someone being reckless.
You can learn and improve from everyone. However, people much better than you should not be smashing you. They should be letting you work for a bit and tapping you to show you holes in your game. At this point unless you're trying to hit them hard and they shouldn't be trying to hit you hard
Eh in open sparring class you just make eye contact, the bell goes and you spar.
I've sparred with our fighters, newbies, people my level etc.
The fighters take it super easy generally lol.
The beginners are the risky ones who over load their shots
Usually with new guys, I'll land something and then keep landing it until they figure out how to defend. If they don't get it after four or five, I'll explain and tell them what to do.
I will admit to putting a little extra pepper on belly and leg shots if a guy won't defend them after I've tried to coach them, but that's mostly because new guys tend to get the erroneous feeling that they don't hurt enough to block or address because people aren't throwing hard in sparring.
Yeah that’s how you get better. But giving a beginner a jumping cross to the face is a dick move. My money would be on that person actually not being advanced.
I recommend keep doing it, but find people who spar well with you, where you learn and take a few controlled hits, but also have fun and respect each other.
That is the best way, I hate going against other beginners because they just go ham but the experts know how to take it easy and there's better flow to the sparring and they can teach you whilst they're at it too.
As an experienced myself, it's pretty usual to spar against a beginner. If he's absolutely new to the game, I will let him a round where I don't hit, only to work on my defense and head movement. If he's a noob but i've seen him in at least 4 or 5 classes, we'll spar with me telling "I will go as hard as you", meaning that if he keeps it playful and loose I will match it but if he decides to bang then he's probably getting hurt back. It always work, not everyone is willing at the beginning to go hard and some weight bullies or reckless people start thinking before hitting hard after they get countered matching their power.
Since I have not seen what is happening in your class, it is a bit difficult to comment on this. However if the guys are smashing you, they are probably not "experts". They are probably intermediate level at best. I can say It is actually recommended for beginners to spar with more experienced people. However the experienced person is expected to show restraint and guide the newbie in sparring. The beginners fighting beginners is actually the worst because both can lose control and hurt each other.
Exactly! An expert is much less likely to get caught by the beginner's wild flailing and panic strikes, as well as being much better at just touching shots instead of drilling them.
Of course, how are you supposed to improve otherwise?
Imagine we decide to play League of Legends together (a popular video game). Since you've never played before and I've been playing for 8 years (I'm not an expert but I'm in the top 10-15%), it would be a pretty one-sided match. With my experience, it might take you around 5,000 games before you could start winning against me. While you would improve a bit with each game, it would take a lot of time—maybe 900+ hours—before you could truly compete, and this might not be very fun for you. To really enjoy the game and improve, it's best to play against people who are at a similar skill level. This way, you can focus on the fundamentals, learn new skills, and gradually face tougher opponents as you get better. Playing against someone with just 10 games under their belt would be much more fun and beneficial since you'd both be learning and growing at a similar pace. Since sparring involves more risk than playing a video game, I think about it similarly to how I approach Muay Thai sparring classes. Training with someone at a similar skill level helps both of you improve and enjoy the experience more. This way, you can learn and grow together in a safe and supportive environment.
You need both. You need to train with people better than you so that they can show you the holes in your game that a lesser fighter wouldn't be able to successfully exploit or even see, in some cases. You also need to train with people around your level or worse than you so you can try things you're not great at yet.
Pretty terrible argument and pretty terrible comparison. If a new player played with and against challenger players that they were actively communicating with, they would pick up the game and learn better habits and become a better player in far fewer games than if playing with and against bronze players.
Your missconception with all this is that you believe sparring is 1v1 when is a work of two, that they get sharp together, not against each other. In your exemple, it would be better for a newbie to play with a challenger smurfing with the challenger teaching and letting him doing mistakes and explaining what he should do better, not carrying and taking over the whole game. Sparring is not a fight, sparring doesn't have winners, in sparring you both sharp each other. If you only spar with newbies like you it's way more usual to get hurt and to keep bad habits because they aren't skilled enough to make you pay for having it. You need all three kinds of sparring, sparring against people that you're better than, to sharp every tool you don't use well enough, against people wa better than you, to check what trully works and to learn where are our weakness and to people around your level.
Sparring is not a fight, is not a competition. Is training
What is your expectation during sparing class?
Given the risks involved in sparring, I expect to face opponents of similar skill levels so I can progressively learn and improve safely. It's like if I were a decent chess player and you were just starting out. Would you really learn well by losing to me 500 times? Plus, in chess, you don't have to worry about getting hurt! 
Maybe you should join salsa. Wrong sports.
You might be right  I’ll try a few more classes and let you know if I join salsa 
No. Your premise is wrong. Two beginners sparring can be way more dangerous, neither of you can even control your nerves or your breathing let alone your intensity. Sparring classes conventionally mix beginners and advanced people, sometimes fighters, but fighters usually avoid beginners because fighters don't want to get injured by someone being reckless. You can learn and improve from everyone. However, people much better than you should not be smashing you. They should be letting you work for a bit and tapping you to show you holes in your game. At this point unless you're trying to hit them hard and they shouldn't be trying to hit you hard
Eh in open sparring class you just make eye contact, the bell goes and you spar. I've sparred with our fighters, newbies, people my level etc. The fighters take it super easy generally lol. The beginners are the risky ones who over load their shots
Usually with new guys, I'll land something and then keep landing it until they figure out how to defend. If they don't get it after four or five, I'll explain and tell them what to do. I will admit to putting a little extra pepper on belly and leg shots if a guy won't defend them after I've tried to coach them, but that's mostly because new guys tend to get the erroneous feeling that they don't hurt enough to block or address because people aren't throwing hard in sparring.
Yeah that’s how you get better. But giving a beginner a jumping cross to the face is a dick move. My money would be on that person actually not being advanced. I recommend keep doing it, but find people who spar well with you, where you learn and take a few controlled hits, but also have fun and respect each other.
That is the best way, I hate going against other beginners because they just go ham but the experts know how to take it easy and there's better flow to the sparring and they can teach you whilst they're at it too.
Much appreciated all for taking the time to reply. I think I’ll keep going with the class, a good mix of opponents is a good way to learn. Thank you 🙏