After deducting our lunch in mackie academy from 50 to 40 minutes due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the school decided to also deduct 10 minutes from the end of the day, resulting in a total of 55 minute break overall (40 minute lunch,15 minute interval), and a 315 minute lesson time, the same timing as before but with a different structure. However, as of late, our head teacher has decided to add 10 minutes to the end of the day WITHOUT adding 10 minutes to our lunchtime, resulting in 325 minutes of lesson and still only 55 minutes of break. This added with our quadruple period timetable (4 periods of the same subject consecutively), leads many pupils to a lack of attention span and resulting in fatigue. Upon students questioning, there has been little response, leading to our suspicion as to whether this decision is fair.

The aim of this petition Is to spread awareness of our discomfort as students working excessive hours with such little break, and how our discomfort could lead to a lack of productivity and engagement and the introduction to a further 10 minutes added onto school time without a further 10 minutes of break combined with the quadruple period system will inevitably lead to students lack of effort and productivity.

students with attention deficit disorders such as ADD or ADHD or other disorders that may affect ones’ focus have been struggling since the introduction of quadruple periods at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and whilst that issue will be handled separately, the deduction of our break time by even just 10 minutes will clearly lead to struggle for these pupils in particular. This petition could lead to students increase in productivity.