A co-ed Catholic high school in NSW will permanently implement a four-day face-to-face week for some of its students.
It follows a year-long trial program at Chevalier College in the NSW Southern Highlands.
Under the school’s flexible learning model, some students in years 10 to 12 will be able to study from home on Mondays, with no scheduled in-person classes.
The independent school said the model will better support students for the future.
Chevalier College
Chevalier College – a high school near Bowral NSW – has around 900 students.
The school has revised its schedule to introduce an optional, at-home day of learning for its year 10 to 12 students.
Students will attend face-to-face classes from Tuesday to Friday.
Mondays will be for self-directed learning set by a teacher, and school events like retreats and excursions that typically disrupt regular classroom time.
The decision comes after a year-long trial at Chevalier College.
Eligibility
Students must complete a “micro-credential” course to be eligible to learn from home.
The school said the course “takes approximately 3-4 hours to complete”.
Parents of eligible students will then be required to attend a workshop at the school.
“The third step will be an assessment by the parents, guided by the College, of the space in which the student will be working at home,” the school said.
The final step will be parents granting formal permission, “with a clear understanding of how the College will facilitate and direct learning.”
The school argues the traditional five-day face-to-face learning model fails to adequately prepare students for the future.
It said: “The world has changed, and education needs to move with it. This requires a more flexible, adaptable and personalised approach to education”.
Trial
Ahead of the decision, Chevalier ran a flexible learning trial.
A research team monitoring the trial’s progress found the program increased student awareness, self-regulation, and productivity.
More than 80% of students felt they were organised, making effective decisions about their learning and tasks, and managing their time well.
However, 39% of students who participated in the trial said they were distracted. Less than half said they felt like they learned a lot on Mondays.
Response
The school said four families had decided to leave the school due to concerns about the changes.
Chevalier said it had initially considered extending the remote learning option to Year 9 students, but decided against it after “ongoing concerns” from some parents.
One parent told the Sydney Morning Herald that there was insufficient consultation and transparency about the program.
