Lucy Powell slated as she says teachers should be given four-day weeks

Lucy Powell slated as she says teachers should be given four-day weeks Some teachers don't think the idea is going to work in practice. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments By Alycia McNamara , News Reporter 21:12, Fri, Oct 23, 2026 Updated: 21:14, Fri, Oct 23, 2026 Lucy Powell is the Education Secretary (Image: Getty) In a controversial new idea, Education Secretary Lucy Powell has suggested relaxing the number of days teachers must be available to work. Under government proposals, teachers could be allowed to work four-day weeks. In England at the moment, full-time teachers in state schools are required to be available for work for a maximum of 1,265 hours over 195 days of the year. Students are in school for 190 days and there are five training days in the academic year. The new suggested plans would mean teachers could complete their contracted hours over fewer days, reports The Telegraph. This means they could work over four longer days rather than being available on all five. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT On the fifth day, other teachers would be allocated to take their classes. The teachers would still work the same number of hours and schools would still provide teaching five days a week. Powell proposed the plan in a letter to Dr Mike Aldred, chairman of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB), an advisory body. In the letter, Powell said the intention was “to provide leaders with greater flexibility to choose to depart from the 195-day requirement to respond to evolving workforce need”. Get the latest news and gossip from the Royal Family plus selected offers and competitions I would like to receive emails from the Daily Express featuring our latest products, services, offers, and promotions from across the Reach Plc family . Subscribe Invalid email You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . Teachers could see a change in working patterns (Image: Getty) She said the change “must not affect pupil time in schools” and that teachers should not be required to work more than 195 days. The proposal follows a 2025 report which said flexible working was a “prominent factor” in teachers ’ decisions to stay in post or quit. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT But the proposals have not come without criticism, with some slating the new idea. Emily May, the executive headteacher of Willingdon Community School in East Sussex, said it would be hard to make the changes work. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT She told BBC : “I’m not sure that it’s a child-centric decision. Where the government is putting a lot of pressure on schools to improve attendance, what implicit message are we sending society that students still need to be in for five days but staff will only need to be in for four? That does concern me when persistent absenteeism has doubled since Covid .” Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), supports the idea. He told BBC: “For the past decade, we’ve seen recruitment targets not met and crucially seen over a quarter of the workforce leaving the profession within the first four years. Something clearly needs to change. “At a time when so many jobs seem under threat from AI, we want teaching to be seen as very attractive, and we want to be able to attract the brightest and the best graduates to these jobs. We need to do something different and I think this is a good start at that.” Powell took the role of Education Secretary after Burnham's cabinet reshuffle (Image: Getty) Meghan Markle sparks fury as critics blast she’s ‘lost her mind’ over 'disgusting' move Prince Harry has just shown his true colours - the Sussexes are living in a dream world Education Lucy Powell School Andy Burnham Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments