Boris Johnson news – live: Schools told to teach 32.5 hours a week or more as ‘new council tax rebate planned’
Schools will be told to provide at least 32.5 hours of teaching a week under a new plan announced by education secretary Nadhim Zahawi.
The Department for Education’s new minimum would be the equivalent of a school day lasting from 8.45am to 3.15pm.
Most primary and secondary schools already offer a 32.5-hour week, but ministers say there are “discrepancies” that they say need to be abolished by 2023 in “levelling-up” plans to increase numeracy and literacy rates.
The Schools White Paper will set out the new minimum requirement when it is published tomorrow. But the government has not made any new money available to fund the increase in teaching hours.
Meanwhile, chancellor Rishi Sunak is reportedly planning a new council tax rebate after his spring statement failed to lessen fears over the cost of living crisis.
Intially, he had announced a £150 council tax rebate to help households with sky-high energy costs – as prices are set to rise by more than 50 per cent from next week.
