Recent conversations in education circles about a potential four-day school week, like the one already introduced in Sharjah, have generally been cautiously optimistic in tone. Weighing the pros and cons and what it would mean for students, teachers, administrators, school leaders and parents, the discussions have ranged from light banter to serious taking of sides, with vociferous defenders and supporters of both points of view.
It is the lightweight fence-sitters, those vacillating and ready to jump sides, who I personally find most interesting – they are often the ones with the probing questions that change the flavour of the discussion.
If the four-day week is implemented in other Emirates, educators will, as we’ve always done, tighten our VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) belts by a notch or two and make the decision work.
But what will a four-day school week mean in terms of implementation? Will it deliver all that it promises in terms of more productivity and wellbeing? Will it be the elusive pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, with the race up to it interspersed with heaving sighs of anticipation and regret?
Or will it be a well-constructed replica of the three-day weekend that has been successfully trialled and implemented by some Scandinavian countries, that has resulted in the promised outcomes and left the populace more fulfilled and able to carry out their responsibilities with ample rejuvenation time?
Organisations and schools in Sharjah have had a head start. And while feedback from colleagues is mixed, it’s mostly leaning towards the positive. Children are finding extra time to relax and pursue their interests over the extended weekend.
At the same time, school days are long, and children initially found it difficult to adjust to the timing of going home a couple of hours later than usual. Senior students found it more beneficial, as it gave them time to complete assignments, prepare for competitive exams and carry out university application-related activities. Some even managed to take up internships over the weekend, which will benefit their portfolios.
I can see teachers, too, welcoming the news – not only will it give them more time to get organised on the home front, but it will also give them an additional day to exercise, take care of their health and enjoy some ‘me time’, which is normally very scarce.
Administrators will perhaps find school absence decrease (other than Covid-related stay-at-home days), with teachers able to schedule their medical and personal appointments over the weekend.
But what would the change mean for two equally important groups of individuals, namely school leaders and parents? For working parents, having young children at home for three days will mean additional planning.
If they are lucky enough to have a synchronised weekend, the planning will be easy. If not, there will be need for a totally different consideration and perhaps additional payment for childcare services if they don’t have a responsible elder at home to take care of the children.
Constructively engaging older children is an urban parent’s living nightmare! But every school has counsellors, who will no doubt be able to whip up a webinar at short notice – school counsellors always rise to the occasion and come to the rescue with their motivational talks, practical solutions, and tips and tricks.
On a serious note, with mental health increasingly in focus, this will need careful consideration, as students will be left to their own devices (pun intended) over long periods of time.
For timetable, curriculum and assessment coordinators, the considerations will be interesting. How can they squeeze the same amount into a work week that has shrink by 20 percent? Will a power curriculum be needed? Will teachers need to flip content to accelerate learning?
Will assessments have to be redesigned to evaluate what learning has happened in real-time and to determine what has been consolidated? Or will assessment evolve to become ipsative and metacognitive? How will all this be achieved in the stipulated available time while still meeting compliance standards?
Zooming out helps to review the big picture, while zooming in helps to figure out the minutiae needed for successful execution. In his book Great by Choice, researcher, author, speaker and consultant Jim Collins deconstructs why some organisations thrive despite uncertainty and chaos.
One of the theories he puts forward is the SMaC recipe, which is a set of durable operating practices that create a replicable and consistent success formula – one that is Specific, Methodical and Consistent.
With such a mindset, it doesn’t matter whether the four-day school week does or doesn’t go ahead; either way, educators will make it work. It’s what we’ve always done, and the world has applauded us for it. Which means this will be no different.
Nargish Khambatta, Principal, GEMS Modern Academy and Vice President – Education, GEMS Education.
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