School working weeks
The Minister said primary schools must operate for at least 184 days and post-primary schools for 180 or 200 days, depending on their schedule, explaining that requirements are counted in days. She gave approximate post-primary term lengths.
asked the Minister for Education the number of working weeks in the school year 1981-82 at (a) primary and (b) post-primary level.
Comment on this
The period of operation of national schools in governed by the requirement that they must be open for a minimum of 184 days in the school year. Such schools operate on the basis of a five-day week.
Circular M 26/64 of the Department of Education states that in the case of secondary schools operating a five-day week, the Minister is prepared to accept a minimum of 180 days in a school-year provided that in such schools the number of hours of instruction per week is not less than 28 hours. In other circumstances secondary schools must be in operation for a minimum of 200 days. Certificate examination days to a maximum of 12 days may be counted towards the minimum number of 180 or 200 days.
Comprehensive and community schools are administered on the same basis as secondary schools in so far as concerns the period of operation during a school-year.
The period of operation of vocational schools is determined by the vocational education committee subject to the general supervision of the Department of Education. In practice the period of operation is similar to that in the case of secondary schools.
In the school-year 1981-82, in consequence of the special arrangements which it was necessary to make in connection with the marking of the answer-books at the certificate examinations, the Minister for Education decided that post-primary schools authorities might delay the reopening of their schools until 15 September 1981.
Comment on this
I am sorry I was not here for the start of the Minister's reply. I was hoping to get the information in weeks approximately. I gather the Minister gave the number of days in the year. I wanted to know the average number of weeks in the school year.
Comment on this
Normally the reckoning is done on the basis of days because of the difference with some schools operating a five-day or a six-day week. Therefore, the combination is made on the basis of days. The opening dates and vacation dates are arranged by the authorities of the individual post-primary schools. This lack of uniformity does not permit of the provision of detailed dates for school terms. The average school term at second level is as follows: 17 weeks approximately from commencement of school year to Christmas; 12 weeks approximately from early January to Easter; and eight weeks approximately from early April to early June.