Students told to work from home on Fridays as college adopts four-day week because of energy crisis

16 September 2022, 10:46

An Essex college has become the first in Britain to introduce a four-day working week due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Pupils at South Essex College will receive the same number of face-to-face learning hours between Monday and Thursday, but will close the classrooms on Fridays.

The college, which teaches students from age 14 to undergraduates and adults, will now encourage its pupils to complete 'independent study' while teachers catch up on administrative tasks and marking.

Parents have slammed the college, which has over 12,000 students in Southend, Basildon and Thurrock, who claim it will simply pass the energy costs of the college onto individual households.

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One parent of a second-year student at the Basildon campus told the Southend Echo: "I think it is disgusting that parents are expected to pay more on their electric bill as the students will be using electric at home now on Fridays.

"I could not believe it when my son came home and told me the news."

One social media user said that the change was just to allow teachers to have a four-day week. She said: "Just have to put more clothes on like we are all going to have to do. Get fed up with bloody teachers moaning all the time."

A spokesman for the college told MailOnline: "The college continuously looks at how we can improve the delivery of our provision. In doing so we have scheduled timetables over four days a week, for multiple benefits.

"It will give teachers dedicated time to complete marking and admin, making the most of the benefits we have learnt from the past couple of years. This will also allow students to undertake independent study as they prepare for higher education or work.

"It's important to remember college differs from school in that independent study time has always been incorporated into all timetables with supervised learning scheduled for three or four days a week.

"It is true that cost pressures on utilities and other elements of running the college have meant we have looked at ways to make savings that do not impact on students or staff.

"This decision will not disadvantage students as no study time will be lost and no sessions have been timetabled for Fridays. Instead, this day will incorporate the independent study time which is part of every course."