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​Saturday Classes And Longer School Days Could Be Introduced To Help Pupils Catch Up

​Saturday Classes And Longer School Days Could Be Introduced To Help Pupils Catch Up

The news was revealed by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson

Aneira Davies

Aneira Davies

Education could soon look vastly different in the wake of coronavirus, according to a recent statement by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.

We could soon see a different school system, with Saturday classes and longer school days being the norm, rather than the traditional 9-3.30 we're used to, in a bid to help pupils.

Pupils returned to classrooms earlier this month (
PA)

Millions of schoolchildren returned to classrooms earlier this month but, with six months of home schooling and some schools already having to close due to new outbreaks, pupils could have a lot of catching up to do.

Mr Williamson has now said that teachers could decide if more time is needed for children to catch up on what they've missed.

Schools could look a lot different to how we're used to (
PA)

He told MPs that schools would be able to assess the individual needs of their children, and that there was clear guidance on what works in the classroom.

"That might mean extending the school day for some, that might mean Saturday classes for others," he clarified.

"There are so many different interventions that can really deliver significant results in terms of helping youngsters catch up on the learning that they have lost."

However, the Education Secretary insisted that schools would stay open despite the recent outbreaks, adding that schools would only ever be closed as a 'last resort'.

Mr Williamson was then asked by Labour as to whether the government had a grip on the crisis and replied: "Very much so."

"If I draw your attention to the joint-letter by the chief medical officers of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, what they were pointing out is that children are best served by being in school."

This news comes after the government made a dramatic u-turn on exam results last month, ruling that all GCSE and A Level students could now use their predicted grades.

As many as 40 per cent of grades were previously marked down according to a computer algorithm based on schools' previous results, with students handed automatic grades by exam regulator Ofqual.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News, Coronavirus