Mixed response to four-day school week

Teachers claim the policy is masking a critical teacher shortage, but some parents see the potential benefits in the move.

The Queensland government is being accused of covering up a critical teacher shortage with this week’s announcement that schools will be allowed to shorten their weeks.

The Courier Mail reports the Teachers Professional Association Australia has labelled the shake-up, which was circulated to all public school principals earlier this week. as a “pre-election stunt”.

Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace insists the policy is just about schools being more flexible if their communities want it.

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TPPA national co-ordinator Scott Stanford told The Courier Mail teachers were already under the pump to get through the curriculum, and would struggle even more in four days

“They’re trying to cover up a teacher shortage the wrong way,” he said.

“If teachers are struggling to get the curriculum done in five days, dropping it back to four days and fitting the same curriculum in is not going to work.”

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New flexible school hours could apply to a school’s entire cohort or just to specific year levels or groups. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

"Let's be more flexible"

Ms Grace said the policy ensured schools would still provide supervision for children if their parents can’t be home with them on a non-attendance day.

“It is an updated policy if a school is looking at some flexible arrangements … they will have to go through extensive community consultation,” Ms Grace said.

“Sometimes schools are criticised for not being flexible enough, particularly in year 11 and 12 … if there’s good ideas about flexibility in some cohorts (then) let’s be more flexible.”

The Courier Mail reports parents have shared mixed feelings about the policy.

Some agree it could help senior students juggle their studies, but others say kids will struggle with their education crammed into four days.

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Fursey Whyte with son Ollie, 9. Picture: Steve Pohlner

"There still seems to be a lot of grey area"

Fursey Whyte, whose son Ollie is in year four, said he saw the benefits of the policy as long as schools still provided supervision on days off.

“If the curriculum is going to be complete and they are going to get the same end goal out of it and it helps everybody, I don’t see an issue with it,” he said.

“I definitely see an advantage in their senior years if they are doing TAFE or VET courses.”

Another dad Barry Auld, who has children in Years 3, 4, and 10, had concerns due to two of his children’s learning difficulties.

“Provided there was still a program where they had someone who could help them with follow-up or catch-up work and there wasn’t too much of a break, I’d be OK with it, but there still seems to be a lot of grey area,” he said.

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QACI is the latest school to consider a four-day school week. Picture: Google Maps

All changes must be in consultation with school community

Meanwhile, Queensland opposition leader David Crisafulli described the communication about the policy as “worse than Optus”.

“No one wins when governments make policies on the run,” he told The Courier Mail.

“Where is the consultation and communication? I think that is what parents and teachers are asking this morning.

A Department of Education spokeswoman said: “Any changes to school hours must occur in consultation with parents, staff, students and other key stakeholders, and be approved by a regional director.”

The usual five-day weeks remained the expectation.

Originally published as Mixed response to four-day school week