Move to end shorter days for junior primary classes paused after 'push back'

Officials in the Department of Education contacted the Department of Children asking for "stats or costings" that would bolster the argument in favour of "restricting" the reduced day for junior infant classes.

"Significant numbers of children now attend preschools/ECCE and that the transition to primary is not as significant as in the past," a Department of Education email stated. File Picture

Plans from the Department of Education to end shorter days for junior primary classes have been paused after "push back", internal documents reveal.

Senior officials in the Department of Education contacted colleagues in the Department of Children asking for any financial "stats or costings" that would bolster the argument in favour of "restricting" the reduced day for junior infant classes at the start of the school year.

Responding, an assistant secretary general in the Department of Children said the cost savings from reducing or ending the practice of two shorter weeks when junior infants start school would be "limited". 

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However, she raised concerns around the much larger cost implication of the shorter school day for infant classes, which finish an hour earlier than other years.

"We currently estimate the cost of subsidising childcare for these children for this additional hour over the full school year is €10m (based on current uptake and subsidy rates)," the senior official wrote.

"The maximum costs and current exposure (assuming full uptake but no change in subsidy) is estimated to be €40m.

"A crude estimate saving of one week based on current uptake and subsidy rate would be approx. €250,000." 

Parents can avail of childcare subsidies for afterschool care under the National Childcare Scheme (NCS), which means children in infant classes who attend services qualify for State supports inside the main school hours.

In emails released to the Irish Examiner under Freedom of Information, it was revealed that the Department of Education, in working on a standardised school year, had also looked at school hours.

"One item that we had proposed restricting from two weeks to one week is the reduce [sic] day for junior infants starting school," one email stated. "On the basis that significant numbers of children now attend preschools/ECCE and that the transition to primary is not as significant as in the past."

The email suggested that some "leeway" could be provided for children who "do not settle well or do not attend a preschool".

However, the correspondence added: "There has been some push back on this (and indeed our older time in school circular provides for two weeks for this purpose. This circular is due to be revised, but hinders progress at this stage on this front). 

"In the meantime if you have any useful stats or costings that can be beneficial to share that can support the case, please forward same."

In a follow-up email, the Department of Education clarified that the circular on a standardised school year "doesn’t get into the shorter day for infant classes other than the practice of sending children home earlier for the first two weeks at the beginning of the school year to allow children to settle into the new environment".

"Something that has been custom and practice for many years and indeed both management bodies and primary union wanted to retain this provision (This Department had initially suggested limiting the practice to one week)," it stated.