PPIW proposals for condensed school week will cause “challenges for childcare; chaos and congestion; and hinder learning capacity” – Welsh Conservatives

Responding to the publication of this morning’s Public Policy Institute Wales (PPIW) report – which proposes a condensed school week – Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Education and Children, Darren Millar AM, said:

“There has been insufficient consultation with parents, pupils and teachers on these proposals and the Welsh Government should rule out introducing the changes it proposes.

“Squeezing the school week into four longer school days would create huge challenges in terms of childcare; cause chaos and congestion by adding to peak time traffic; and hinder learning capacity, particularly for younger pupils, as children tire towards the end of the school day.

“Instead of using taxpayers’ money to commission reports on changing the school week, the Welsh Government would do better to commission some work on the attainment gap between Wales and other nations in the UK.”