School hours could change to better fit working families, Premier hints.

The traditional 9am-3pm school day could be set for a shake-up in NSW for the first time in decades, the Premier has revealed.

The traditional 9am-3pm school day could be set for a shake-up in NSW for the first time in decades.

Premier Dominic Perrottet hinted on Monday the state’s education system was outdated and said that more flexible school hours would be looked at as a way of helping mums and families function better.
“The school hours of nine till three, that was set up at a very different time in life … the world in the 1950s is very different from the world we live in today,” the Premier said.

“We as a government will be looking always at better ways of doing things, of thinking outside the box and striking new directions moving forward.”

Schools hours in NSW could change from the traditional 9am to 5pm. Pic Ross Swanborough. Western Australia / Education

In June last year it was announced primary schools would be given the power in 2022 to stagger learning hours at their own discretion and modernise the working day for families.

Mr Perrottet said on Monday that trials of varied learning times were underway at several NSW schools already but said the approach might not be uniform across the board.

“When something‘s been the same way for so long, decades upon decades … you can’t just overturn that overnight,” he said.

The plan to change school hours is to suit working families better, the Premier said.

“But we want to try new things … there will be learnings from (the trials), and every school is different. You‘ve got so many elements, when you change the school hours you have to change the transport hours as well. It’s not going to be a one size fits all policy.

He added: “I want revolutionary ideas that trail blaze a new approach in our state.”

It comes as the NSW government launched the Women‘s Economic Opportunity Review Panel on Monday, tasked with finding new strategies to help women enter, re-enter and stay in the workforce ahead of the state Budget.

Premier Dominic Perrottet today in Sydney. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NCA Newswire

Minister for Women Bronnie Taylor said current school hours and their impact on women’s role in the workforce would be among issues the panel discussed.

“When you talk to women they’ll often talk about the hard cut off at three o’clock. We need to look at different opportunities to make sure they can thrive,” Ms Taylor said.

President of workplace equality organisation Chief Executive Women Sam Mostyn added the panel would make “recommendations” about possible changes to the school day and childcare to better fit working parents.
“It is up for discussion … it will take some boldness in thinking about how the school system feels about (changed hours), a large proportion of teachers involved in the school system are women who also have their families to think about,” Ms Mostyn said.

“This is a complex multi-layered issue, but we shouldn’t be frightened of it.”