School’s Out

‘LAST week, we told you about the train companies that were improving punctuality by altering the timetable so that late trains would in future be on time.

Do not try this at home

Well, this morning we are glad to see similar thinking applied to the problem of truancy.

The Times reports that primary schools could abandon afternoon classes and let children go home at lunchtime if a pilot experiment is successful.

The idea, the paper says, was put forward after a strike by support staff in London meant school could only open for half a day.

“Teachers found that not only did attention and behaviour improve,” the paper says, “but attendance also went up.”

Of course, it stands to reason that the fewer classes there are to miss, the lower the instance of truancy will be.

If the Government is serious about cutting truancy figures, it knows what it has to do – scrap school altogether.

The Times reports that morning-only teaching, which is the norm in Germany, Italy and Canada, would also help to relieve congested roads.

But not as much as no school at all would…’

Posted: 19th, January 2004 | In: Broadsheets Comment | TrackBack | Permalink