UK Government considering longer school day as part of Covid recovery plan

An extended school day from 8am to 6pm is being eyed up by the government as part of its Covid recovery plan, reports suggest.
Ministers are understood to be weighing up two dramatically different approaches for pupils, the Times Educational Supplement reported this weekend.
The TES says it has been told that ministers are considering whether they should opt to pay for a compulsory half hour extension with an academic focus or fund a longer 8am to 6pm school day that would be voluntary. The latter option would most likely involve some extra-curricular activities rather than just more academic lessons.
Plans are being drawn up by the government’s new education recovery commissioner Sir Kevan Collins, who has previously said that teachers will be asked to increase learning time for pupils as part of the catch-up effort. Last week he also said that any plans to an extension of the school day should be compulsory to guarantee that disadvantaged pupils attend.
Union leaders have already said they do not favour the compulsory extra half hour, saying it’s an ‘incredibly narrow view’ to think that would ‘be the solution after the worst global pandemic we’ve had in a century.’