23rd January 2014 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Scottish Boarders Council has proposed adjusting the school week to four and a half days. The plans, which are to be introduced in August, are aimed at providing students with greater opportunities for e-learning and shared teaching. Called the “asymmetric week’, the proposals would mean that students served by the council would spend four and a half days in school each week instead of 5. The plans follow the introduction of similar schemes by other Scottish authorities which are viewed as successful.
The plans are also a response to budget cuts, as the council must find a way to cut £11m from their schools’ budgets. Under the proposals, although students would not attend school on the 5th day, they would still ultimately spend the same amount of time in school and would receive the same level of teaching. However, having children in school for fewer days means that the schools would need to employ fewer teachers, making a huge saving on teachers’ salaries.
Councillors involved in implementing the change have implemented a feedback system and consultation in which students and parents can comment on their experiences. Cllr Sandy Aitchison said that they were “keen to hear from the pupils themselves to help us understand what impact they feel the changes will have on their lives and learning”. The council is also arranging opportunities for students and parents to speak with students at schools where the asymmetric week is already in effect. They concluded that they were trying to find the best way to save the money that would be cut from the budget, without compromising students’ education.