An inquiry conducted by the Academic Federation of Porto (FAP) from May 28 to June 30, with 1,824 valid responses, reveals that “80% of students from Porto’s academy identify benefits, including increased motivation, concentration, mental health, and better management between personal, family, and academic life” with the introduction of a four-day week in higher education.
“Seven out of ten surveyed students report feeling more motivated, with more energy and a greater ability to reconcile studies with family life when considering the possibility of a four-day week in higher education,” the document, accessed today by Lusa, states.
Regarding concentration capacity and sleep quality, aspects that are interconnected, six out of ten surveyed students considered that this measure of a four-day week in higher education “would be quite positive.”
In the area of mental health, the impact would also be notable.
More than half of the students believe that a four-day week can contribute to “reducing stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression.”
The survey focused on aspects related to health, family balance, and daily activity readiness.
The president of FAP, however, warns that a four-day week cannot mean cramming 21 hours of classes into those days.
“We propose a new paradigm, combining reduced workload with pedagogical innovation through the implementation of more suitable teaching and assessment methods.”
In May, in an interview with Lusa, the president of FAP stated that the FAP would urge the next Portuguese government to proceed with a pilot implementation of the four-day week in higher education in Porto, advocating that the shorter week would be an “inevitability.”
FAP advocates for the four-day week as early as the next academic year and has sent an open letter today to directors and presidents of organic units of Porto’s Higher Education Institutions, urging the implementation of the four-day academic week by the next academic year.
The request follows the survey conducted by FAP, in collaboration with the Sociology Institute of the University of Porto, whose results reveal that 80% of students from Porto’s academy identify benefits.
The survey focused on aspects related to health, family balance, and daily activity readiness.
Aside from better balance between personal and academic life, the reduced workload would help reduce travel time and alleviate the student housing crisis.
The survey included students with an average age of 20.9 years, with 68% enrolled in undergraduate courses, where the workload tends to be higher.
Sixty percent (60%) of respondents are enrolled at the University of Porto, 30% at the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, 4% at the Higher School of Nursing, and the remaining 6% attend private or cooperative higher education institutions.
“Portugal is among the European countries with the highest classroom workload. On average, Portuguese students have 21 more hours of academic activities than those in Germany, the United Kingdom, or Italy, and twice as much as Sweden,” argues the president of FAP.
According to Francisco Fernandes, a full-time student in an undergraduate course dedicates “46 hours per week to academic activities, including classes, study, and assessments.”
