英國小學生激增 或實行三天上學制

因近幾年小學入學人數劇增，學校教室不夠用，英國倫敦部分小學可能從2015年開始實行每週三天上學制。也就是說，將所有在校生分成兩撥，一撥週一到週三上學，另一撥則從週四到週六上學，在校時間爲早8點到晚6點，其他時間家長需另外想辦法安置自家兒童。目前，各小學的上學時間爲每週一到週五，每天早8點30分到下午3點30分。據英國地方政府協會調查統計，未來兩年內，英國部分地區的小學生數量將是現有小學可用教學位置的兩倍；2016年9月開學時，將有三分之二的地區要面臨學校空間不足的問題。目前，已有部分地區的學校開始採取臨時措施應對學生數量激增的問題，比如在操場上修建教學樓以及修建臨時教室等。另外，還有地方提議實行上下午輪班制，一撥學生早8點到下午2點上學，另一撥則從下午2點到晚8點上學。

Thousands of pupils could be forced on to three-day weeks because of a chronic shortage of school places.

Working parents face the ‘logistical nightmare’ of having to arrange childcare on week days when their youngsters would normally be in lessons.

The radical measure may be introduced by a London council in 2015 at dozens of primary schools as a huge influx of youngsters threatens to fill classes to bursting.

Other local authorities are already using emergency measures such as building over playgrounds, constructing temporary classrooms, introducing extra reception classes and creating ‘titan’ schools of more than 1,000 pupils.

In some parts of England there could be nearly twice as many pupils as available primary places in two years, according to research by the Local Government Association.

Up to two-thirds of councils may have to deal with more youngsters starting primary school than their school can fit in by September 2016.

Education chiefs are considering a three-day week in which half a school’s pupils would go to lessons from Monday to Wednesday and the other half from Thursday to Saturday.

This could see the borough’s 21,430 primary-age pupils in classes for three days from 8am to 6pm instead of 8.30am to 3.30pm for five days, with working parents having to find childcare on the remaining days.

An alternative is a shift system in which one half of a school works from 8am until 2pm and the other half from 2pm until 8pm.

Rocky Gill, the council’s deputy leader, yesterday warned that three-day weeks or split shift days could be introduced within two years without sufficient Government cash.

He said: ‘Logistically, there are impacts on working parents. But I have queues of people at my surgeries that can’t get a school place.’

Other councils are likely to monitor the council’s plans after Education Secretary Michael Gove gave head teachers more flexibility to alter the school day and set term dates.

LGA figures released yesterday forecast that Costessey in Norfolk, Purfleet in Essex and central Croydon, South London, will have at least 75 per cent more pupils by 2015 than the number of places currently available.

The Government this week said 93 free schools would open across the country, creating an extra 43,000 spaces for primary and secondary school children.

Mr Gove said yesterday: ‘We have more than doubled funding for new school places and we are setting up great new free schools, which are giving parents a choice of high quality school places.’

But Margaret Morrissey, founder of the pressure group Parents Outloud, said: ‘It’s not acceptable to have three-day weeks for children.’

Parents and pupils could be asked to rate their teachers to help set performance-related pay in all state schools.