Several public schools in Queensland, Australia, are trialling a shorter school week for students after studies found that a shorter working week can boost productivity. Some schools will trial half days and staggered start and finish times, while one college has moved to a permanent early finish at lunchtime on Fridays.
The move comes after several international studies found that a shorter working week boosted productivity for adults and children. However, parents have had mixed reactions to the new school week, with some complaining that the move infringes on their schedules.
The Varsity College’s secondary campus on the Gold Coast is one of the schools trialling the shorter school week. Students at this school finish at 2:45 pm on Fridays and are given the option to go home or stay and study. The school sent an email home to parents, which was obtained by the Courier Mail, stating that the new structure would allow staff to engage in a professional environment.
The email also stated that the school is committed to supporting and promoting a professional, collaborative approach to creating an expert teaching team with effective pedagogical practices and that improved student outcomes can only be achieved by ensuring that high-quality, evidence-based teaching practices are used in every classroom, every day.
Pupils at Palm Beach Currumbin State High School, which is just a 15-minute drive away from Varsity College, can go home at lunchtime on Mondays. Two hours south, Mountain Creek High School operates using a split-shift timetable. Students in years 10 to 12 start their school day at 7:30 am and finish at 12:55 pm, which gives them free rein of the school from 7:30 am to 9:55 am.
Junior students in years 7 to 9 arrive on campus at 10:25 am and finish at 4:05 pm, giving them sole access to the school from 1:30 pm. Sunshine Beach State High School, also located on the Sunshine Coast, shares the same split-shift timetable.
A spokeswoman from the Queensland Department of Education said principals could make decisions regarding timetabling and school hours after consultation with the school community. While some parents have complained that the move infringes on their schedules, several international studies have found that a shorter working week can boost productivity for adults and children.
The idea of a shorter school week is not a new one. It has been discussed and experimented with in several countries around the world. In the United States, a few school districts have implemented four-day school weeks; in the United Kingdom, some schools have experimented with a four-and-a-half-day school week. In Sweden, several schools have implemented a six-hour school day to improve student outcomes.
One of the main reasons for the move towards a shorter school week is to improve student outcomes. Studies have shown that students who are less tired and less stressed perform better in school. A shorter school week can also give students more time to engage in extracurricular activities, which can help develop skills not necessarily taught in the classroom.
Another reason for the move towards a shorter school week is to improve teacher outcomes. Teachers who are less stressed and less overworked are more likely to be effective in the classroom. A shorter school week can also give teachers more time to plan lessons and engage in professional development.
However, there are also some potential downsides to a shorter school week. One of the main concerns is that students may miss out on important instructional time. With a shorter school week, teachers may have to cover the same amount of material in less time, leading to rushed lessons and potentially lower student outcomes. Additionally, parents may be concerned about how a shorter school week would impact their schedules.
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