Aussie schools given the green light for four-day weeks in radical shake up of the education system
The era of the 9-to-3 school day could soon be over for thousands of students in one Australian state.
The Queensland government has given public primary and secondary schools the green light to change timetables and shorten the school week.
When implementing the changes, the schools will take into account the availability of teachers and the well-being and involvement of students and staff.
The Ministry of Education distributed a blueprint to directors this week, which will come into effect from the first semester of 2024.
A number of schools in south-east Queensland have already shortened weeks or adjusted timetables to start earlier in the day.
The big shake-up appears to have been embraced by secondary school principals, with “no concerns raised at this time.”
Public primary and secondary schools in Queensland may change timetables or shorten the school week from the first term of 2024. The photo shows students from Brisbane
Mark Breckenridge, president of the Queensland Secondary Principals Association, stressed there will be different arrangements for younger secondary school students compared to seniors who require less supervision.
“There will be different arrangements for lower secondary pupils aged 12 and 13, as opposed to pupils in years 11 and 12,” he told The Courier-Mail.
“We recognize that those students cannot be sent home because they need parental supervision and we do not want 12- and 13-year-olds to potentially be left unsupervised.
It comes after international studies claimed shorter working weeks increased the productivity of teachers and students.
Queensland Academies Creative Industries Campus in Brisbane will be one of several schools to trial a four-day week next year.
Some schools in the state’s southeast are already experimenting with four-day weeks (stock image)
The school has designated Wednesday as a day without classes, instead of a three-day weekend.
“This compressed week would have the same number of contact hours and teaching time compressed into four days,” said principal Mick Leigh in a letter to parents.
“The change was proposed to promote student well-being and reduce cognitive stressors that lead to declining attendance and burnout.
‘Wednesday was chosen (as a day off) with the intention of distributing the cognitive load for students.’
Education Minister Grace Grace said Queensland schools are still expected to remain open “five days a week, Monday to Friday”.
“Any changes to the opening hours of individual schools under the new policy must be approved by regional directors, including any trials,” she said.
‘I expect that any decision to change school times will be subject to strict scrutiny, will not be taken lightly and that students will continue to be involved in school activities throughout the week.’
International studies claim that shorter school weeks increased the productivity of teachers and students
Queensland Academies Creative Industries Campus will trial a four-day week in 2024