NSW high school ditches five day week in massive change for students

A Catholic high school has broken with tradition and is having its older students homeschooled one day a week.

Chevalier College in Bowral, in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, will make the flexible school week permanent from next year after conducting a trial in 2024.

A research program conducted concurrently with the trial found that students were better at time management and had more independent learning skills.

The ‘Future Facing’ plan means that all students can learn independently on Mondays, while older students will be given the opportunity to learn from home.

Students are also offered a wider range of subjects and take HSC lessons years earlier than at other schools.

The school, which charges senior students just under $12,000 a year, announced it was making changes to prepare its fellow students for a “changing technological world.”

“Today’s education system is designed for an industrial world, with standardization and uniformity as its main features to produce a large number of workers with the same basic skills,” according to the Chevalier College website.

“(This) is an opportunity for the college to implement concepts and approaches that make better use of time and help our students thrive in a rapidly changing world.”

During the trial period we experienced some start-up issues, especially as younger students indicated they wanted more instruction and guidance.

Students from groups 7 and 8 spend half a day every Monday in the school hall to delve into superficial material before going to class.

Their parents said they struggled with the “lack of structure and support,” the ABC reported.

“We didn’t land the ball as well as we could have and there’s a lot of work to be done to get that right in the future,” said Chevalier College Principal Greg Miller.

“The parent feedback definitely contributed to the students’ development as we observed and interviewed them and also looked at their survey data.”

Mr. Miller noted that only a few parents strongly opposed the school’s approach and that he will continue to adjust the plan in the coming years.

Part of that change is that new students in the first year participate in introductory programs that focus on flexible learning.

The younger students also receive ongoing training to improve their self-regulation and time management.

Seniors are given the opportunity to learn independently at home on Mondays, while juniors spend the day in the school hall following ‘pre-class’ content (stock image)

Senior students only need to take three of the ten required ATAR subjects (Religious Studies and English) and can choose from over 50 other subjects for their HSC.

The results of the research programme will be released so that other schools can decide whether they also want to introduce a flexible school week.

“Chevalier College has decided to do something that many schools have been thinking about but have been waiting for someone to take the first step,” said lead researcher Dr Phil Cummins.