Pupils coming from disadvantaged backgrounds should be able to attend school on Saturdays, the Tories have said.
According to the BBC, Shadow Schools Secretary Michael Gove said the extra lessons could help close the gap between poor and rich, giving less privileged children the opportunity to have better access to sport, music and extra tuition.
Speaking at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers' (ATL) conference in Manchester, Mr Gove said: "Children who come from homes where parents don't have the resources to provide additional stretch and cultural experiences could benefit from being in school for longer."
Dr Mary Bousted, ATL's general secretary, said more staff in
teaching jobs would be needed to support the proposals.
"If Saturday schools result in teachers being exhausted from overworking and means that they underperform for the rest of the week, then it's not a good idea", she was quoted as saying by the BBC.
Meanwhile, Mr Gove has confirmed that a Tory government would overhaul the content of some A-Levels, in news which may affect secondary teacher roles.
Posted by Harriet McGowan
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