THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION and some of the main stakeholders in education are considering revisions to the school year.

This review will include an extension of the first term in the academic year, with the third term ending in June rather than in early July.

The recommendations call for the first term to be extended to 16 weeks with a one-week break during the middle of that period. Under the proposal the school year would not be extended beyond the current 38 weeks.

Principals have for sometime been suggesting a review of the school year.

The proposals on the table include ending this current term a week earlier than originally scheduled.

Some parents have publicly indicated this could present challenges for them, as they had not planned for that period.

However, a number of headteachers have said that when teachers go off to correct papers, classes could run until the Wednesday of that week, which would mean school ending only two days earlier.

One of the issues over the years during the third term has been the number of teachers involved in correcting Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) Exam papers and this has increased with the introduction of CAPE (the replacement for Advanced Level examinations).

Several educators have said they see no real challenges with the proposal to end the third term a week earlier than has been the tradition.

However, some concerns are being raised with regard to beginning the 2008-2009 academic year in late August since it is felt that some teachers would have already planned their schedules, including being out of the island.

It is being proposed that the term begin on August 25 with the teachers having "a planning week".

Some educators have suggested that the Ministry of Education might have to forego this particular suggestion this year.

One of the other proposals on the table is that Teachers' Professional Day continue to be on a Friday during the first term, but that the following week be a mid-term break with the first term ending on December 17.

The following terms would both start with a professional day where teachers only would be at school on the first day. Teachers already have "planning sessions", but at different times.

The matter of the extension of the term is under consideration by the Barbados Union of Teachers, the Barbados Secondary Teachers' Union, Barbados Association of Principals of Public Secondary Schools and the Association of Principals of Primary Schools. (ES)