It might be an unpopular opinion among some, but I’ve always been a fan of school uniform.
It teaches young people to dress smartly, take a pride in their appearance and, most importantly, it removes a lot of the stigma or peer pressure that pupils can come under.
When everyone is dressed the same, worrying about how you look isn’t such a big deal. It levels the playing field.
So why not apply that same sentiment to the secondary school week?
This week we learned Waid Academy is consulting on proposed changes to the length of the school days in the 2019/20 session.
Parents are being asked to choose between two options – either a four-and-a-half day week with a 1.15pm finish on Fridays, or three long school days lasting until 3.35pm and two short ones ending at 3pm.
It’s the latest in a series of school hours shake-ups being put forward as a means to potentially cut costs.
St Columba’s RC High in Dunfermline has already revealed plans to switch to a four-and-a-half day week.
Meanwhile, Madras College in St Andrews plans to cut five minutes from the start and end of the day, with a longer interval and lunch for senior school pupils.
Unions have expressed deep concern, suggesting changes are likely to impact lower income families most of all, by putting pressure on parents to take time off work or shell out for expensive childcare.
The EIS fears tweaking the timetables in this way is predominantly about saving money, not improving pupil learning.
Whichever proposals are taken forward, wouldn’t it make more sense to take a blanket approach to the issue, rather than the seemingly scattergun response we are seeing at the moment?
Maybe the status quo isn’t sustainable but surely council bosses and school heads can work together to devise a solution where everyone is working to the same rules and systems.
A four-and-a-half day week works in other local authority areas, and if we have to make it work here then so be it.
But the fairest way would be for all of the Fife secondary schools to follow the same kind of pattern so that everyone knows where they stand.
It’s just a pity that we’re even having to consider it.
