Greens welcome “overdue” review of primary school hours

The Green Party has welcomed the Department of Education’s planned review of primary school hours, describing it as “long overdue” and calling for public childcare to be considered alongside any changes to the school day.

The review will examine classroom hours, the length and frequency of school breaks and the shorter day currently applying to junior and senior infants.

Green Party Spokesperson for Education, councillor Conor Dowling, said:

“This review is long overdue. School hours have remained largely unchanged since 1995, despite major changes in family and working life. Parents whose children attend schools starting after 9am often ask how they are supposed to work regular hours. Different finishing times for infant and older classes create further complications. The State should be supporting families better by helping them manage these everyday pressures.”

The review follows an Oireachtas Education Committee visit to Finland, where pupils receive regular 15-minute breaks between lessons and follow a less crowded curriculum. Concerns have been raised that Irish primary pupils are being overloaded by a curriculum covering 12 subjects, alongside a growing number of additional initiatives.

The Blackrock councillor said “children need enough time during the school day to move, play outdoors, eat properly and reset between lessons. But we cannot take shorter school days or more frequent breaks from the Finnish model without also considering the public services that support families there.”

We should examine publicly supported before-school and after-school care on school grounds, so that children benefit from a better school day without creating additional pressure or expense for parents,” he said.