Cairns parents react to shortened school week proposal

Cairns parents are outraged as Queensland schools trial options to shorten the school week, with one Gold Coast college moving to a permanent lunch time finish on Fridays.

Cairns parents are outraged as Queensland schools trial options to shorten the school week, with one Gold Coast college moving to a permanent lunch time finish on Fridays.

Other schools across the state are trialling half days on Mondays, and another has implemented staggered start and finish times.

Edge Hill Primary School parent Luke Ellmer said he was grateful the changes were yet to reach the Far North because the movement “just wouldn’t work”.

“My wife and I both work full-time and we work around the school end times,” he said.

“Changing this would hugely impact parents’ lives.”

Mr Ellmer was also concerned about the cost of daycare.

“The cost of daycare is already skyrocketing. What happens when we’re forced to put them in for more hours?” he said.

“It’s immense pressure on our lives, and our finances but also on the childcare industry to have more kids.

“Unless our working weeks change, then it won’t work.”

Another parent Narelle, who did not give her last name, said she did not understand how the schools could shorten the week but not change the curriculum.

“It can’t be just based on students’ concentration,” she said.

TAS primary students, Camryn Dunn, Jade Thomas, Ari Rajeswaran and Alex Roll study walk to class past the campus' STEM building. Picture: Brendan Radke

“I understand the idea of it benefiting the teachers, but what will be dropped?

“Something will need to be cut from the curriculum in order to make this work.

“What I want to know is, what will they stop teaching our children?”

Parent William Aruba said children need more help than ever.

“Less time for learning wouldn’t at all be beneficial,” he said.

“In a world like this, kids these days need more help than ever.”

The move comes as several international studies point to the success of shorter working weeks for adults as well as shorter weeks for students.

Germany has among the shortest working weeks in the world and it has led to an increase in productivity.

Cairns West State School grade 1 pupils during story time. Picture Brian Cassey

Teachers Professional Association Queensland secretary Tracy Tully told News Corp the shortened school weeks could give teachers more breathing space.

However, she raised logistic concerns around students getting home on their shortened day, particularly if extra school buses were not available when students are given their early mark.

“It should give teachers more of their own time and not suffocate them with another meeting,” she said.

“But these timetables only occur with a lot of consultation with the local school community.

“Our teachers are overwhelmed and overworked, so something has to change. These schools are working it well, and this is a new model that other schools may well adopt.”

Originally published as Cairns parents react to shortened school week proposal