Call for a ‘Four-Day Week’ in Schools to Reduce Pressure on Teachers in England and Wales
A call has been made to the government to pilot a four-day working week in schools across England and Wales. Education advocates state that this model would improve teacher wellbeing, reduce turnover rates, and make it easier to recruit new teachers.This call follows Scotland’s announcement last week of a “flexible four-day teaching week,” which would give teachers one dedicated day per week for preparation and assessment tasks. In England, however, current guidelines require state schools to provide full-time education five days a week.
James Reeves, campaign manager of the 4 Day Week Foundation, emphasized that teachers are experiencing burnout at unprecedented levels, saying: “A four-day week doesn’t mean working less; it means working smarter, protecting staff wellbeing, and improving student outcomes.” Teacher shortages in England reached record levels at the beginning of the year. The National Foundation for Education Research reported that post-pandemic increases in student behaviour issues have intensified teacher workloads, and class sizes have grown due to staff shortages. According to Department for Education data, the number of teachers who left the profession last year was nearly equal to the number who entered it.