Proposed education calendar changes spark debate about 4-day school week

A now-scuttled proposal to introduce a four-day school week in New Brunswick's anglophone schools has sparked debate about the potential benefits and challenges for parents and students.

The Department of Education says it formed a committee aimed at exploring changes to the school calendar that would provide teachers with more time for professional development.

The committee considered implementing a four-day schedule as a way to achieve that, but then decided to drop the idea after consulting the province's anglophone school districts' superintendents, said department spokesperson Diana Chávez.

"They decided not to move forward with that option and will instead be exploring more viable options that will be brought forward by the committee later this month."

A four-day school week isn't going ahead, but the proposal has already made its way down to members of some parent school support committees, where it received support from at least one chairperson.

"I think that it's good," said Melody Katz-Nardon, who chairs the parent school support committee for Prince Charles School in Saint John.

"I think it boosts even attendance because kids have that extra day to be home and rest if they're not feeling well. [They're] less likely to get sick because they're less tired."

Katz-Nardon said the four-day week would also give teachers one day every week to pursue professional development, or just catch up grading assignments and filling out report cards.

"And it won't be disruptive to parents' schedules because ... they'll know that every Friday they have to have their kids in daycare or have alternative care."

Katz-Nardon said she hopes the department reconsiders its decision to drop the proposal.

The idea of a four-day school week raises concerns for Jodi Munn, a Grand Bay-Westfield parent of three who works five days a week.

Munn said her eldest child recently became old enough to babysit her two younger children and would be able to supervise them after school.

But she still worries one less day of structured class time a week could lead to more screen time for her children and put an unfair burden on her eldest child.

She's also concerned about other parents who'd be forced to pay for child care for one full day each week.