Government aims to end school summer hours & shorten term times

The Government is seeking to end summer hours in schools, in a move which would see term times shortened.

The news follows a meeting between the Department of Education and the Gibraltar NASUWT, in which the proposed changes were discussed. 

The teachers’ union said the amendments outlined would represent fundamental changes to working conditions, which go to the heart of contractual expectations.

Spokesperson, Jenique Berllaque, said a formal phase of negotiations would now be necessary, assuring that the union remains committed to constructive engagement.

The Government first raised the possibility of ending half days last year, pointing out that they were first introduced in Gibraltar to avoid students being stuck in classrooms during excessively hot summer afternoons – a factor which, it says, no longer applies, as most schools are now fully air-conditioned.