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The end of the ‘9am to 3pm’ school day is near as schools test early start and end times based on ‘international research’… but does anyone REALLY believe that Friday middays lead to a better education?
- Shortest school week test in Queensland
- Schools to Try Half-Days and Staggered Starts
- A study found that people were more productive
Public schools in Queensland are testing shorter face-to-face hours after studies found fewer hours behind school doors led to more productive students.
The tests will see schools stagger start and end times, and one university will even move to finish at lunchtime on a Friday.
The move comes as some international studies found that shorter work weeks boosted productivity for both adults and children.
Parents have had mixed reactions to the new school week, with some complaining that the move infringes on their own schedules.
A number of Queensland schools are trialing a shorter week for students after studies found people were more productive (Pictured students at Tweed Heads Public School)
Students at the secondary campus of the Varsity College on the Gold Coast finish at 2:45 pm on Fridays and have the option of going home or staying and studying.
An email sent to parents, obtained by Courier Mail, said the new structure would allow staff to participate in a professional environment.
“At Varsity College, we are committed to supporting and promoting a professional and collaborative approach to creating an expert teaching team with effective pedagogical practices,” the email to parents said.
‘Improved student outcomes can only be achieved by ensuring high-quality, evidence-based teaching practices are used in every classroom, every day.’
Students at Palm Beach Currumbin State High School, just a 15-minute drive away, have the option of going home for lunch on Mondays.
Two hours south, Mountain Creek High School operates on a split shift schedule.
Some schools will try half days and staggered start and end times, while one university has moved to a permanent lunchtime end on Friday (pictured, students go to the beach)
Students in years 10-12 start their school day at 7:30am and finish at 12:55pm, giving them free rein to school from 7:30am to 9:55am
Junior students from years 7 to 9 arrive on campus at 10:25 am and finish at 4:05 pm, which gives them exclusive access to the school from 1:30 pm
Sunshine Beach State High School, also located on the Sunshine Coast, shares the same split shift schedule.
A spokeswoman for the Queensland Department of Education said principals could make decisions about timetables and schools within an hour of consulting with the school community.