Longer Schooldays Trialled Abroad: Could And Should Malta Follow?
Trials to extend school days in Wales have begun, with a total of 13 primary and secondary schools taking part in a pilot over the course of the next ten weeks.
The pilot was conceived as a means to support disadvantaged pupils and schools affected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It will feature an additional five hours per week at school, during which, students will not only engage in academic lessons but in art, music, and sports too.
Schools are also introducing their students to various disciplines, such as Boxing, Taekwondo, or Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
“We know from research that young people can gain in confidence and wellbeing from this approach, especially disadvantaged learners,” Welsh Education Minister Jeremy Miles said.
“Programmes which provide enriching and stimulating additional sessions and support learners to re-engage with learning can have a greater impact on attainment than those that are solely academic in focus.”
The trial has been not been well-received by all, with the Welsh Association of Headteachers calling for the plan to be ditched saying schools are “on their knees” under pressure with COVID-19 lifestyle shifts.
How can the Maltese benefit from longer school days?
1. Matching children’s schedules with their parents’
A typical school day for most Maltese kids lasts around six to seven hours and often terminates some time before a typical parent’s working day.
Through longer hours at school, parents are assured that their children’s needs are taken care of in a proactive, and protected way.
This, without needing to find an ‘intermediate’ caregiver, which often-a-time, is childcare.
2. Schools could offer additional avenues for the child’s development
Presently, we are preparing our kids for an eight-hour working day. For some, it may be even longer.
Having kids go about their daily duties for the whole nine yards could potentially help them set realistic expectations, and balance school life with home life, more easily.
Hours spent ‘out of academic learning’ may also be used to zero in on skills otherwise left unexplored. By being introduced to an art form, or a sport that the school itself provides education for, children are presented with additional avenues for mental – and physical – growth.
Many schools still classify arts and physical education as ‘extracurricular activities’, ancillary to the standard education received during school hours. But with teachers backing such practices for their benefit on a child’s development, shouldn’t we be promoting these activities?
3. And what about the physical and social advantages?
Longer breaks mean longer playtime. And longer playtime means more time to socialise with friends.
Numerous studies have marked the positive impacts of playing on a child’s mental development, even as the child gets older.
With additional time built into a typical school day, a child would have more time for play, recess, and mindfulness.
Moreover, in a country whose proportion of overweight kids stands at a whopping 40%, could one really argue that additional time spent on the field would not have its own physical benefit?
What are the barriers?
Money is a factor here. And not only from the school’s own running costs, but in teachers’ salaries too. If not just by introducing external teachers licensed to teach their own specific craft.
Doubt also remains on whether longer hours at school directly correlate with higher achievements later down the line. In so far, there is conflicting evidence on the matter.
Questions are also raised as to whether children would be able to cope with homework issued by the school unless measures are taken to complete such work during school time.
Schools have reopened on 10th January despite an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases that has seen thousands of people quarantined.
The announcement came at the turn of the new year, following an announcement by Minister for Education and Sport Clifton Grima, who stated that schools should be the last institution to close, amid worsening COVID-19 restrictions.
“It’s important for children to physically attend schools; they’re not only about the academic aspect but about the entire development of a person’s potential.”
The Welsh trial is still in its early days. But Malta, like many other countries, could learn a lot from the results of the pilot.
Do you think Malta should consider longer schooldays?