School four-day week a non-starter

PROPOSALS for a four-day school week failed to win any political support and will not now go ahead.

North Ayrshire Council leader David O'Neill said the "radical" plan will be taken no further - and added that a suggestion for starting primary school at age six is more likely.

The proposal, which emerged at the weekend, follows a budget at the Labour-led authority for 2011-12 outlining 8.9 million of efficiency savings.

Councillor O'Neill said: "Officers came back with a wide range of early options, including the possibility of exploring a four-day school week. This idea received no support whatsoever from elected members and will, therefore, not be taken any further."

SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson from the Scottish Parliament's Education Committee said: "Cutting the school week to four days was crazy enough, pushing the school age up to six is just as bad."