School hours should remain but more breaks needed - TD

Cathal Crowe, Chair of the Oireachtas Education Committee, has stated that primary school hours should remain unchanged for younger pupils but that the number of breaks throughout the day should be increased. This comes after a report in the Irish Examiner that the Department of Education will review the shorter school day for junior and senior infants, who finish an hour earlier than older primary pupils.

Crowe, speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, emphasized that younger children experience academic overload due to the 12 subjects taught in most primary schools, along with additional initiatives. He argued that societal issues such as childhood obesity and online safety become topics of debate but ultimately lead to schools being expected to address them, resulting in an overly burdened school day for both students and teachers.

Crowe advocated for a model similar to Finland's or Scandinavia's, which incorporates extra breaks throughout the day. He also suggested the implementation of mandatory school childminding in the mornings and afternoons to alleviate the challenges parents face in collecting children during working hours. Crowe highlighted that while many schools already offer before and after school clubs, these arrangements should be made mandatory.

He stressed that expecting children to sit for extended periods, pay attention, and complete homework is unrealistic and not conducive to their well-being. The Department of Education responded by stating that further investigation is necessary before considering the duration of classroom time.