Sixth form students can repeat their final year to make up for missed class caused by Covid chaos
SIXTH form students will be offered the opportunity to repeat their final year - to make up for classes missed as a result of lockdown chaos.
Schools and colleges will be handed cash to allow year 13 students the option to repeat their final years if needed.
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The decision was made after exams were cancelled for a second year.
Officials said all those "particularly badly-affected"; will be able to repeat the year if they choose.
Meanwhile, it's reported that the school day will get longer, with kids facing 35-hour weeks in class in a bid to catch them up.
And the Prime Minister says its vital that British schoolchildren don't get "left behind" as a result of the pandemic.
The Government has announced:
- A £1bn for national tutoring, which will see up to 100m tutoring hours for children and young people in England
- Further investment of over £250m to help give 500,000 teachers world-leading training
- Six million 15-hour tutoring courses for disadvantaged school children
- All ages between two and 19 will be covered by the package of support
- But there's no word yet on whether school holidays could be slashed or classroom time extended
“Young people have sacrificed so much over the last year and as we build back from the pandemic, we must make sure that no child is left behind," he said.
“This next step in our long-term catch up plan should give parents confidence that we will do everything we can to support children who have fallen behind, and that every child will have the skills and knowledge they need to fulfil their potential.”
Youngsters in England will receive 100million hours of extra tuition under plans to ensure everyone has the same opportunities after the crisis.
Westminster insiders say Mr Johnson sees one-on-one tuition as the key to helping Generation Covid catch up, with one source dubbing it “the PM’s big idea”.
It's understood the school day will be extended by an extra half-hour - or two-and-a-half hours a week - as part of a £15bn rescue plan.
But while Boris Johnson is said to have given his backing to the plan by education tsar Sir Kevan Collins, who has been tasked with sorting out kids' missed learning, no final decision has yet been made.
Proposals to slash the six-week summer break have also not yet been given a firm 'yes' or 'no'.
The newly-wed PM will today unveil the plans to revive learning.
Under the scheme, intensive tutoring will be provided to youngsters across the UK, while 500,000 teachers will get extra training.
The bulk of the extra cash doled out by the Government will go on funding up to six million 15-hour tutoring courses for disadvantaged school children.
It will also see the 16-19 tuition fund expanded and extra lessons targeted at the core subjects of maths and English.
Government sources did not deny reports that schools could be open for longer.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said schools are facing the biggest reform since the Second World War in an interview in February.
Kids across the UK - as well as their embattled parents - have faced a challenging time during the pandemic.
GCSE and A-levels were cancelled in 2020, as well as this year, after the PM said it wouldn't be "possible or fair" to foist exams on youngsters so badly affected by school closures.
Meanwhile, it was last month suggested that more than 200,000 pupils may be leaving primary school without basic reading and writing.
An extra 30,000 kids are also struggling with literacy in just the past year.
Tory MP Robert Halfon, chair of the education committee, called on ministers to take more urgent measures to deal with the “education apocalypse”.
And in February, The Sun revealed kids had missed nearly a billion days of school as a result of the crisis.
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Mr Williamson said: “This is the third major package of catch-up funding in twelve months and demonstrates that we are taking a long-term, evidence-based approach to help children of all ages.
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“I am incredibly proud it recognises the efforts and dedication of our teachers who are at the forefront of children’s recovery – making sure every teacher has the opportunity to access world-leading training, giving them the skills and tools to help every child they work with to fulfil their potential.
“The package will not just go a long way to boost children’s learning in the wake of the disruption caused by the pandemic but also help bring back down the attainment gap that we’ve been working to eradicate.”