A leaked report suggests that the Government is planning that the school day will be extended by half an hour to help Britain’s children to catch up after months of disrupted education due to Covid lockdowns
The Times says that the report by Sir Kevan Collins, the government’s education recovery commissioner, is calling for all children to receive an extra 100 hours of schooling each year from 2022, with a minimum 35-hour week.
There will be extra tutoring for five million pupils and additional training for 500,000 teachers and an extra year of sixth-form should be considered if teenagers cannot complete A-level courses
The document is driven by a “three Ts” — extra time, teaching and tutoring. It says that all three combined are essential to catch up.
This means lengthening the school day, improving teaching through more training, and providing tutoring on top of lessons.
Boris Johnson has been briefed on the findings, says the paper and in meetings with Collins has indicated support for the plan. One Whitehall source said the prime minister wanted to make a “big, bold offer” on education, which he has declared his post-pandemic priority.
