Primary School Teachers’ Work Hours to Increase Under New Curriculum

Francis Fonseca

The Ministry of Education’s new primary school curriculum will require that teachers spend more time at school, up to three hours more per week. There are reports that some teachers are not taking too kindly to this revision of work hours within the new curriculum. But, Minister Fonseca says it will take some time before this change comes into effect in schools across the country, while some institutions have already moved ahead to implement increased work hours.

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education

“There was a discussion about the increase of contact hours, because of the new format and structure of the curriculum. This is a transition year, so as we have said to the teacher’s union, as we have said to the teachers, those changes will not happen now. This is a transition year, come next year we are going to sit down with the teacher’s union and determine exactly how we are going to implement those changes. There are a few schools who have embraced fully the new competency based approach to the curriculum. They see it as advantageous to them to adjust some for these hours, and they have done so in consultation with their teachers. Where that has been done, the ministry has said that is fine. If you have engaged with your teachers consulted with them, they agree that this is in their best interest and they want to move forward with this approach, we have no objections to that. But, in terms of the overall curriculum and the overall move towards this change, as you describe it. It is really like something like moving from twenty seven and a half hours to I believe thirty hours or something like that. That will take place next year. We have always said that this will be a transition period.”