Prescribing the minimum annual number of learning hours: consultation
Feedback updated 10 Jan 2025
We asked
For your views on whether an annual minimum number of learning hours should be prescribed in legislation.
The consultation launched on 21 March 2023 and asked:
- Should the Scottish Government set in law the minimum learning hours pupils in Scotland should receive?
- Do you agree that the minimum annual learning hours should be 950 hours for primary schools?
- Do you agree that the minimum annual learning hours should be 1045 hours for secondary schools?
- Do you agree with the suggested definition of learning hours?
- Apart from the exemptions outlined in this paper are there any other circumstances where a variation to the number of learning hours provided may be needed?
- Are there any further views you wish to share regarding this proposal?
You said
The consultation closed on 13 June 2023. A total of 496 responses were received from a broad range of stakeholders and individuals. You provided views on the wide range of issues presented including those we asked about as well as around the themes more generally.
We did
The responses to this consultation have informed the development of an agreement between the Scottish Government and local government, via its representative body CoSLA, to freeze learning hours in 25/26 and consider further with local government the impact of regulating a minimum number of learning hours. The joint statement can be seen here Education: agreement with COSLA - gov.scot.
Published responses
View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.
Overview
This consultation seeks views on the Scottish Government’s plans to set a legal minimum number of hours of school education school pupils should receive each year.
Traditionally, Scottish primary schools provide around 25 learning hours per week, and Scottish secondary schools around 27.5 hours per week. However, while local authorities are required to have their schools open for 190 days each year, the number of learning hours is not prescribed. Our schools have never been more important to children and young people. They provide not only the vital learning our children and young people need to succeed and to tackle the poverty related attainment gap that we are determined to close, but also a safe and secure place that nurtures them.
The school week is the backbone of our education provision and benefits all our children and young people. The Scottish Government is clear that any changes to the school week must be based on educational benefit to pupils. Any measures that materially reduced the number of hours children spend learning in school would be expected to reduce pupil attainment and wellbeing and undermine efforts to close the poverty related attainment gap.
To protect this vital provision for children and young people, I am bringing into force the existing provisions in the Education (Scotland) Act 2016 which will enable Scottish Ministers to set the minimum number of learning hours in a school year and propose to use this power to make regulations later this year.
This consultation is an opportunity for local authorities, parents, children and young people and other stakeholders to provide views and evidence about the potential impact of the implementation of this policy. We will use the responses to inform the regulations and non-statutory guidance I intend to bring forward.
I hope stakeholders can use this consultation to express their views on this important issue.
Ms Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills
Interests
- Education
- Main hub
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