By Kieron Murdoch | Opinion Contributor

As students head back to public schools next week, we are keen to see the successful implementation of the government’s new policy of an extended school day which will be run as a pilot at some schools only. In the first instance, gauging the impact of the policy on a few institutions is a wise approach. Ultimately, we think it will be a beneficial policy, and that all schools will eventually make the shift of ending at 3:00 pm rather than 1:30 pm.

Over many years, there have been discussions on and off in the public sphere and in official circles as to whether the school day for secondary schools is too short. The debate often centred around whether students had enough teaching hours to digest their curriculum, the potential benefits of having time for school-based extra-circular activity, and the challenge of what a small portion of students get up to when left idle at 1:30 pm if their parents have not managed to ensure that they are adequately engaged.

There are certainly arguments on either side which merit consideration. Clear challenges to extending the day may include the impact on school staff and teachers, the arrangements that need to be made for transportation and meals, and any possible disruption to existing after-school activities long accustomed to a 1:30 pm school day’s end. Nevertheless, we believe that it may better serve students’ interests and, perhaps, the interests of their parents, to keep them in school a little bit longer.

Firstly, it could present the opportunity for students to spend some extra time if and where necessary with students on particular areas of the curriculum. Secondly, it could serve to reduce the opportunities for idleness that present themselves after the school day ends and keep students away from such distractions. Thirdly, it may allow schools to work more closely with external groups and organizations on extracurricular activities. Fourthly, it puts the end of secondary school students’ school day in line with primary schools and pushes it a little closer to the end of the actual work day, which may be beneficial to some parents.

The time may be used flexibly and each school can use it according to their needs. Strong consideration must be given to this factor, as students surely are not receptive to teaching if they are not adequately rested, do not have adequate break time, have not had adequate meals, or are missing out on extra-curricular interests at which they might excel. Balance is what is required, and what may work at one institution may need to be adjusted at another.

It should not be seen as a method only of keeping children off the streets, with teachers appointed to simply find things for them to do. There must be purpose, organisation, structure and support. Where schools report gaps in their resources, such as a need for more administrative staff, specialist teachers, or teachers to cover certain subjects, these must be filled, otherwise what good is having a longer day with the same constraints?

Schools need support to deliver the best results. We cannot demand more from our institutions while giving our principals and teachers the same resources – resources which, in many instances, principals and teachers would indicate were stretched thin already. This means the government must be receptive to the feedback of principals as to what the school needs to effectively make the transition. Otherwise, it may ultimately turn out that an extended day appeared unpalatable not because it was genuinely a burdensome policy, but because the right support was not in place to accommodate its success.

Still, there may be unforeseen challenges that warrant a rethink of how widely the policy is implemented. As such, a pilot is the right approach. If run well, it should allow the government to ascertain what challenges from this policy change and if and how they can be resolved. What is certain, however, is that constant engagement with stakeholders will be needed. Parents’ associations at each affected pilot school will need to be involved, and the teachers’ union will also need to be involved.

About the writer:

Kieron Murdoch is an opinion contributor at antigua.news. He worked as a journalist and later as a radio presenter in Antigua and Barbuda for eight years, covering politics and governance especially. If you have an opinion on the issues raised in this editorial and you would like to submit a response by email to be considered for publication, please email staff@antigua.news.