13th February 2014 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Government advisors have suggested that school days should be lengthened and holidays shortened. Under the proposals, the school day would be extended to 6pm, and school holidays would consist of six or seven weeks a year. For the purposes of the campaign, the proposal would be referred to as ’45 hours of education per week for 45 weeks of the year’. Advisors have said that such changes would be popular amongst voters, especially parents who are struggling to maintain work and childcare under the current system.
The changes would mean that the amount of time students spend in school would increase by two-thirds, allowing parents to maintain full-time jobs without having to fund childcare. Teachers’ holidays would come in line with the national average for employment leave, meaning that they would work considerably greater hours than previously. However, advisors have predicted that the move would be popular with teachers, as it would give students a much needed boost in education and allow teachers more time to get the best results from their students. The proposals come after the coalition government has promised to offer funding for free nursery care and school meals, in an effort to help working parents.
The department for education has said that they will consider the proposals, but pointed out that schools are now already able to vary their hours and term lengths. The said that they would prefer schools to take up these options, although so far the legislation has had little effect in the state sector, where schools have largely maintained the arrangements they had in line with local schools in the area. Despite reluctance on the part of schools to take significant changes in the terms forward, advisors have said that schools should be on board with moves that would allow them to compete on an international level.