What new Aussie school day could look like if 9am-3pm hours are scrapped

The longstanding 9am-3pm school day could soon be abolished. This is what the new and improved Aussie school day might look like.

The 9am-3pm school day could soon be a thing of the past in NSW, with Premier Dominic Perrottet revealing plans to modernise the school day.

On Monday, Mr Perrottet revealed trials were already under way in some schools to see which hours could work better, suggesting the current hours were dated.

“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,” he 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.”

Stream more than 20 global & local news sources with Flash, a dedicated news streaming service. New to Flash? Try 14 days free >

NSW’s 9am-3pm school day could be overhauled. Picture: iStock

But what does a modernised school day actually look like?

Well, some of the alternatives being trialled include a 7am-1pm day or extended after-school care.

Some NSW schools have already been operating under different hours.

Edmund Rice College, an independent Catholic boys school in West Wollongong, starts its school day at 8am and finishes at 2.05pm.

The change was made in 2013 following an extensive community consultation process the previous year.

Principal Stephen Gough told news.com.au the change has allowed the school to “maximise our day and learning opportunities”.

“Every educator knows some of your best learning happens earlier in the day,” he said.

Mr Gough said it gives students flexibility while also providing them with more learning and extra-curricular activities after school.

“For those students who want to get extra help and support we have a formalised homework club and many boys access that, not only to get access to their teachers, but also the senior students,” he said.

“It adds to our learning culture and the boys don’t necessarily have to stay up late at night if they are getting their homework done from 2.30pm.

“It turns our school into more of a learning community rather than you come here for your classes and then you go home.”

Students at Edmund Rice College start their day at 8am. Picture: Edmund Rice College Wollongong/Facebook

Edmund Rice College also has a partnership with the local soccer club, meaning students can access coaching after school.

Students can also access the gym and other activities such as jazz band practice.

“You’ve got to you’ve got to find what works for your community and this definitely works for us,” Mr Gough said.

Woolooware High School in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire has also switched up the regular school day, but only for its senior students.

Year 11 and 12 students at the school start the day at 7.28am and finish just before 1pm.

Merrylands East Public School in southwest Sydney has held an 8am-1.15pm school day for more than 10 years.

Students still get a recess break but not lunch break, with students having lunch after school ends.

Vasantha Ragini Chivukula, whose children go to Merrylands East Public School, said her family loves the school hours as it provides the children with more time for homework and extra-curricular activities.

“For us spending a lot of time in school is not important,” Vasantha told news.com.au, saying it was the quality of the time spent in school that they valued the most.

“We found our students were not as engaged after lunch, particularly on summer days or warm days,” Principal John Goh told The Sydney Morning Herald in an interview last year.

The change came after the school conducted a survey, with 72 per cent of parents saying they wanted to change the school hours.

“The vast majority of the other 28 said they were pretty indifferent,” Mr Goh said.

John Goh Principal of Merrylands East Public School introduced an 8am-1.15pm school day more than a decade ago.

Having school hours outside 9am-3pm is common in many other countries.

In Finland, which is often recognised as having one of the most progressive educational models, school usually starts anywhere between 8-9am and usually finishes around 2pm.

Students also get an hour for lunch and 15 minutes between each class, giving children plenty of free time throughout the day.

In Brazil, the school days often run from 7am to 12pm, with students typically heading home after school to share lunch with their family.

In China, a typical school day usually lasts from about 7.30am to 5pm, with children often going home for lunch during their two hour break in the middle of the day.

School days in South Africa usually run from 7.30am to 2pm.

In South Korea, Kenya and France a typical school day usually starts between 8am and 9am.

Trials are now being conducted at several NSW schools to evaluate varied learning times.

However, Mr Perrottet conceded that any changes to the system would come with challenges.

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

“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.”

The Premier said he is ready for an overhaul of school hours despite the challenges. Picture: Gaye Gerard/NCA Newswire

Dr Selina Samuels, Chief Learning Officer at online tutoring company Cluey Learning, said the move to change the standard school hours recognises the need from families for greater flexibility.

“However, it will not be easy to implement, particularly given the importance of offering teachers – many of whom are of course also parents – the same flexibility,” she told news.com.au.

“I think the key is to create staggered times to enable greater flexibility for families and better use of existing facilities.”

Dr Samuels said schools should be open to adopting a hybrid model of education, which includes in-person learning in the classroom and in an online environment, in real-time with a tutor.

“That will give families the flexibility that is aimed for, reduce pressure on transport and on teachers and – most important of all – give students the individualised approach they need,” she said.

“We need to think beyond after school care and instead think more about when and where students learn. As Covid has shown us, learning does not just take place in the classroom.”

The announcement from Mr Perrottet coincided with the launch of a Women’s Economic Opportunity Review Panel by the NSW Government.

Its aim is to find new ways to increase women’s participation in the workforce.

Minister for Women Bronnie Taylor said current school hours were a disruption for many women looking to hold down a job.

“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.

Mr Perrottet was keen to take on the challenge of reforming school hours despite the difficulties in doing so.

“I want revolutionary ideas that trail blaze a new approach in our state,” he said