Changes through hours designated for school directors
Sometimes school heads, like in Poland, can use special “director’s hours” to introduce new topics. This method has some benefits. It’s not very formal, and it’s flexible. These hours, even though they’re limited, can be used for activities that help students’ interests and talents, especially those that further their initiative and creativity. The activities are meant to be chosen by the students, with the understanding that each student can choose from the available classes. Although they are not obligatory, the school head has to organise these classes to meet the varied needs of the students. It’s important to note that these hours are not part of the mandatory educational activities.
Activities done during the director’s hours are usually voluntary, there is no need for them to be graded, and they don’t count towards students’ formal grades or their school-leaving diploma. Different classes can have different activities, and groups can be formed across classes. The groups should be organised based on the students’ age, needs, and educational opportunities, making sure that what is provided is beneficial and adaptable.
It is important to know that there are often rules limiting the number of director’s hours. In Poland’s primary schools, for example, education stage 1 (grades 1-3) allows for 3 hours per week for the school head to use, while education stage 2 (grades 4-8) provides 4 hours. In reality, the school heads often use these hours to better prepare students for external exams, which is a potential obstacle to the director’s hours being used for introducing new content.