Parents consulted on starting hours
Nicole Curnow
Wednesday, March 9, 2005
Starting hours for Primary 1 pupils in Glasgow could be changed by the city council at the request of working parents. Following consultation in 1997, it was agreed that the new intake of four- and five-year olds in Glasgow schools would attend for mornings only until after the October half-term holiday.
Following consultation in 1997, it was agreed that the new intake of four- and five-year olds in Glasgow schools would attend for mornings only until after the October half-term holiday.
However, a spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said, 'Over the past few months we have received a number of calls from parents asking why we operate this system. Our new consultation document gives parents of all youngsters due to start school within the next couple of years the chance to give us their views on the system they would like to see in place.
School staff and school boards have also been invited to comment.'
The options in the consultation include starting full-time from the first day of the session, after the September long weekend break or after a one-week induction period.
Different policies operate at local authorities across Scotland.
In Edinburgh, P1 children are phased in up until the September long weekend. Starting hours are decided by the school, but pupils must attend full-time by the September holiday.
P1 children in East Renfrewshire start school full-time from the first day.
Until last year, P1 beginners returned home after lunch. But a consultation found that virtually all parents wanted their children to stay on at school for the full day because they had already attended nursery.
Ian Fraser, head of services at East Renfrewshire Council, said, 'The introduction of full-day attendance for P1 beginners has gone extremely smoothly and we have now adopted it as standard practice. We consulted fully before making the decision and parents have supported us all the way.'
The consultation in Glasgow ended on 11 February. The council is now drawing up a report for the Education Services Committee and changes will come into force at the start of the 2005-2006 school year.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Executive has made a commitment in its Partnership Agreement to make P1 a less formal learning environment by 2007. A spokes- person said, 'We will improve the transitions between nursery and primary, and primary and secondary education, so that the system fits the needs of the children. We will introduce more flexibility in the curriculum for three- to six-year-olds. We will improve pupils' confidence and attainment by changing the ethos of P1, introducing less formal teaching methods and enabling early professional intervention.'
