As well as reflecting the needs of working families,the school hours project will be a key productivity measure contained in Tuesday’s budget,as NSW emerges from a pandemic-induced recession.
Staggering when students travel to school would reduce the rising cost of traffic congestion in Sydney,which the NSW Productivity Commission forecasts to hit $13.1 billion in 2031.
It would also provide more flexibility for shift workers,who have been integral to the state’s COVID-19 response.
Schools will have the option of taking part in trials,which will include a range of measures such as earlier starts or later finishes,as well as extended hours of a day.
School-based before and after care,with a teacher in attendance,could be an option,or schools could choose to split when students attend,such as one cohort attending 7am to 1pm.
Public schools can set their own start and finish times with decisions made by principals in consultation with school communities.
Some schools have already adopted changed school hours,including Merrylands East Public,which operates from 8am to 1.15pm,with playground supervision from 7.30am. It has a recess break and no lunch break but offers the same amount of teaching time as all public schools.