Queensland schools trialling a shorter week for students
Is it time to say goodbye from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.? Aussie schools are trialling a shorter week for students as they move to a permanent early finish on Fridays
- Shorter school week trialled in Queensland
- Schools are trying half days and staggered starts
- Research showed that people were more productive
A number of Queensland public schools will try a shorter week for students after studies found people were more productive.
Some schools will try half days and staggered start and finish times, while one university has moved to a permanent Friday lunchtime finish.
The move comes after several international studies have shown that shorter workweeks increase productivity for both adults and children.
Parents have had mixed reactions to the new week of school, with some complaining that the move is infringing on their own schedules.
A range of schools in Queensland will try a shorter week for students after research found people were more productive (pictured, Tweed Heads Public School students)
Students from the secondary campus of Varsity College on the Gold Coast finish at 2:45pm on Friday and are given the choice of going home or staying and studying.
An email to parents, obtained by Courier Mai, said the new structure would allow staff to participate in a professional environment.
“At Varsity College, we are committed to supporting and promoting a professional, collaborative approach to creating an expert teaching team with effective pedagogical practices,” the email to parents read.
“Improved learning outcomes can only be achieved by ensuring that high-quality, evidence-based teaching practices are used in every classroom, every day.”
Students at Palm Beach Currumbin State High School, just a 15-minute drive away, will have the option of going home on Mondays at noon.
Mountain Creek High School, two hours south, operates on a split-shift schedule.
Some schools will try half days and staggered start and finish times, while one university has moved to a permanent Friday lunchtime finish (pictured, students in NSW)
Students in Years 10 to 12 start their school day at 7:30am and finish at 12:55pm, giving them free play in school from 7:30am to 9:55am.
Junior students in Years 7 to 9 arrive on campus at 10:25am and finish at 4:05pm, allowing access to the school only from 1:30pm.
Sunshine Beach State High School, also located on the Sunshine Coast, shares the same split-duty schedule.
A spokeswoman for the Queensland Department of Education said school principals can make decisions about schedules and schools one hour after consultation with the school community.