An education minister has rejected calls for a four-day school week, expressing concerns that it could diminish time allocated for school activities and assignments. Children’s minister Josh MacAlister acknowledged the concept’s appeal but cautioned that such a change might impede student learning and burden families unnecessarily. While acknowledging the need for improvements in the flexibility of teaching, he highlighted ongoing progress in this area.
The government was compelled to address the issue following a petition signed by over 125,000 individuals advocating for a shorter school week. The petition proposed reducing the school week to four days by extending each school day by one hour. In response to discussions in Parliament, Mr. MacAlister confirmed that there are no intentions to alter the current school week structure, emphasizing the importance of adequate time for curriculum delivery, breaks, and extracurricular opportunities.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to a minimum school week duration of 32.5 hours for all state-funded mainstream schools, Mr. MacAlister stressed the necessity of meeting this standard to ensure fairness and high educational standards for every student. In line with published guidance, schools are encouraged to consider extending hours beyond the minimum requirement to enhance pupil development and address school priorities effectively.
Regarding teacher workloads, Mr. MacAlister noted that efforts have been made to reduce teacher hours, aiming to create a more sustainable and balanced career path in the education sector. While acknowledging the need for further progress in teacher retention and recruitment, he highlighted positive advancements in this regard.
During a parliamentary debate, MPs raised various concerns, including potential challenges for parents with childcare arrangements and mental health implications for children if they have an extra day off school. Worries were also expressed about the impact of an extended school day on homework, exam preparation, and teacher-student interaction.
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