The average Bahrain school student has lost study time due to to the recent unrest, and the school day would be extended to try and make up, said a senior government official.

Education Minister Dr Majid Al Nuaimi said that the ministry resolved to extend it in all Bahraini secondary schools starting from the second semester of 2011/2012 academic year.

He explained that the normal day in secondary schools would end at 2.15pm instead of 1.30pm.

The study, in collaboration with an international firm of experts, had verified that the number of hours lost by a Bahraini student before this extension is the equivalent of three school years in comparison with hours of study in advanced nations.

The minister said this resolution comes within the ministry's plan to improve the quality of education in schools in line with the Economic Vision 2030. The ministry had earlier conducted a pilot project which extended the school day in Al Muharraq Secondary School for Girls in 2009/2010. This achieved excellent results.

The minister said that following a recommendation by the committee on upgrading education and training presided over by Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, the ministry had submitted a memorandum to the Cabinet on the extension of the working hours in secondary schools.

It advocated increasing hours from 732 in 122 school days to 924 in 154 school days to promote educational output by increasing the actual days to 180 'thus giving teachers sufficient time to convey the required knowledge to students whose individual capacity differs'. – TradeArabia News Service