A primary school is giving children Friday afternoons off because "they're too tired"

12 April 2019, 12:09

The school insists teachers will be working their normal contracted hours and the free afternoon will allow for "greater family time."

A primary school in Wales is has decided to let their pupils leave school early on a Friday afternoon because they're "too tired."

Neyland Community School in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, will finish at 12.25pm on Fridays from September, rather than at 3.20 pm.

The school defended the controversial decision by claiming they wanted to give children "greater family time" and insists it's got nothing to do with saving money.

What's more they hope the move will help raise the standards and improve outcomes for learners across the school."

While some parents have supported the decision, others have slammed the impact such a decision will have on working parents.

One dad told Metro: “This is ridiculous. Both my wife and I work so this will mean one of us having to take Fridays off too to look after our kids.”

However, to alleviate the extra pressure, the school said they would be providing free activities until 3pm.

A spokeswoman for Pembrokeshire County Council said that teachers wouldn’t be given Friday afternoons off. 

Teachers will have no change in their current contracted working hours – just in the way they work them,” she said.

“If we cannot utilise Friday afternoons in this way then teachers will end up being regularly taken out of class for training. Naturally this results in disruption for the children and supply teacher costs, both of which we really want to avoid.”

Do you think children should have Fridays off from school? Let us know in the poll below.